Heart of the Matter
by comesinwaves
Summary: Five years ago, he removed himself from their lives, leaving behind a huge hole where he used to be. But now he's back and even under the most unfortunate of circumstances they find that hole fixing itself once again. TxG
1. You Can Never Go Home Again

**On the eve of my sweet sixteenth (yay!) I have decided (very nervously) to launch my first full length HSM story. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Maybe they were right. Maybe you never could go home again.  
The statement certainly _was_ proving true for Troy Bolton as he found himself ducking out of a room of wide eyed women, red cheeked and muttering hasty apologies for what felt like the hundredth time.  
A ladies room. What had once been a route to the exit was now a ladies room. When did that happen?

Troy had been back in Albuquerque for an entire two hours now and he was still yet to make it out of the airport. The last time he'd been there was the day he left Albuquerque and apparently things had changed. A lot.

It had been planned out so well: he was going to dash off his plane, grab his luggage and then use back hallways in the airport to get him to the exit without any major exposure leading to fainting women.

That worked well in theory, right up until he slipped into one of the back corridors he had used the last time he was here and found himself standing directly in the entrance of a ladies room. Cue fainting women.

Troy sighed, shoving his sunglasses onto the top of his head so he could search the seemingly foreign airport. When did Albuquerque renovate its airport? And where was a map that could find him a path out?

Finally, half an hour later and Troy emerged from the airport relatively unscathed. There had been a few giggling fan girls and only one autograph request. It was nothing compared to home.

Home…there was an interesting concept. Where _was _home anymore? He used to swear Albuquerque would always be his home no matter what but…he hadn't been here in just over seven years. LA on the other hand…he didn't think he could ever call it home. It didn't feel right.

Without her.

That unspoken, unbidden thought that was always there as if he truly knew that _nowhere _would feel like home without her.

His cell phone burst to life and foraging into his pocket he fished it out and snapped it open.

'Troy, have you landed yet? We thought you'd be home by now!' his mother's concerned voice called over the line as soon as he had answered the call.

'I've just gotten out of the airport. I'll be home in twenty minutes,' Troy sighed, looking around the parking lot.

Home. Yeah…something about that felt right. He was going home!

* * *

He didn't think he could have ever prepared himself for this. As his taxi wove through the streets, taking him the longest possible route, Troy stared blankly out the window. Rows and rows of unfamiliar houses, filled with unfamiliar people and their unfamiliar lives. Young children skipped around in the sprinklers in the front yards of houses that used to belong to old couples. Teenagers gambolled around on the sidewalks easily, backpacks slung over their shoulders, headphones set firmly in place. Even the streets seemed different. This place used to be his turf. Between many childhood summers, he and Chad had learnt the streets surrounding their homes like the back of their own hands, forever imprinted in their memories. But this…

This was not Albuquerque as he remembered it.

The taxi rounded a corner smoothly and Troy began to recognize things that still seemed vaguely familiar. The ancient tree at the end of the cul-de-sac, the very same tree that Chad fell out of and broke his arm. The house on the right, where a family lived that had three young toddlers and…there.

His house. The one he'd spent so many years of his life protected safely within. And he was here again!

The cab glided to a halt and without complaint Troy handed over the necessary money, his heart suddenly thudding with anticipation. He was here. He was really here.

He slid out of the cab, inhaling the hot, sticky, thin air that was so purely Albuquerque.

His eyes surveyed the house in front of him. Nothing had changed in all the years since he had been here. There was something oddly comforting in that. Not _everything _had to change.

'Troy!'

His mother's loud shriek filled the quiet suburban air as she flung the front door open. Breaking out into a sprint she bounded down the garden path where she was met by her son halfway.

'Hi mom!' he greeted genuinely, crushing her in his arms tightly. He couldn't help but savour the moment; it wasn't something he got to do very often.

'My baby boy,' she wept, 'You're home!'

Troy laughed, releasing his mother to an arms length so he could see her properly. He then stooped and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

'Yes, I am,'

His mother pulled him in for another brief hug before allowing him to be free.

'Come inside. You must be exhausted,'

Troy allowed himself to be led into the house by his mother willingly. As they walked he couldn't help his head swivelling as he drunk in everything around him: the old and the new.

'I like the couches mom,' Troy offered, nodding at the unfamiliar leather couches that now filled the lounge room.

'Your father and I bought them last year. They're wonderful aren't they?' she chattered comfortably.

There were things that were different; he'd admit that, like the colour of the bathroom walls, and the paintings hanging in the hall but…so much was the same.

Stepping into the kitchen behind his mother he bit back a gasp. Exactly the same. From the burnt orange walls, and the terracotta tiles right down to the embarrassingly dorky painting of a duck pond hanging at the end of the kitchen table.

'Sit down, sit down,' his mother insisted, gesturing to the kitchen stools, 'You're father's at the store. He should be home any minute now,'

Troy complied, swinging himself up onto one of the high black stools, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the bench. His mother busied herself with the fetching him a glass of water while she babbled.

'Oh it's so wonderful that you're home. I was just talking to your father a couple of months back, saying that we should drag you back for Christmas but…oh, this is so wonderful!'

Troy chuckled affably as he accepted the mug of coffee his mother had placed in front of him. Toying with it idly, he continued to talk.

'Well, you know, it's off season and training was slow…it's nice to get away from the Lakers and that whole…LA thing,'

His mother nodded, sipping from her own coffee thoughtfully and he continued.

'Albuquerque seems to be the perfect place to…get away from it all,' he decided, 'There's no paparazzi, screaming girls, body guards…it's all quiet. So far,'

His mother smiled, 'So far,'

The sound of the front door being opened filled the silence between he and his mother.

'Luce? I'm home!' his father's voice rumbled from somewhere beyond the kitchen, 'Is Troy here yet?'

Troy laughed, 'Yes, he is!' he called back jovially.

Moments later his father burst into the room, laden with grocery bags. He deposited them on the kitchen bench, urgency blatant in his every move, before he finally turned to his son.

'Son,' he said gruffly, extending a hand, 'It's uh…good to see you again,'

Troy nodded, shaking his father's hand, shoving the other one in his pocket awkwardly, 'You too Dad,'

They stared at one another, their hands still connected tightly. Uncomfortable seconds passed as they waited for one another to make the next move. Finally Jack caved and pulled his son in for a hug.

Troy embraced his father tightly. He used to take that simple action for granted, but a seven year absence had really made him appreciate it.

'Ok boys, sit down,' his mother fussed, interrupting them, 'The brownies are almost ready,'

At the sound of food both men flew away from one another and to the kitchen bench where the brownies were being cooled.

'Typical men,' Lucille mused, laying the brownies out on a platter, 'All of you. Forget father-son relationships, it's all dog eat dog when you bring in food,'

Jack chuckled appreciatively, snatching a brownie from the plate, 'You wouldn't know any other way,'

Troy's mother smiled, conceding slyly, 'Perhaps. But just imagine if Troy had been a girl…no basketball, pink bows…Troyette, '

Before Troy could choke on his brownie, Jack cut in, 'Speaking of girls, Luce, when does everyone's planes arrive?'

Troy frowned, licking the chocolate frosting from his fingers, 'Whose planes?'

Lucille leant forward, waggling her eyebrows mischievously at her son as if she was harbouring a great secret, 'Oh… certain someones. Certain…someones,'

'Mom…' Troy whined.

'Oh come on Troy,' she laughed, 'Can't I have my fun? Fine. A large portion of your Wildcats will be in town for a while this summer,'

Troy's heart froze in his chest for a split second. Wildcats. He hadn't seen _any _of the Wildcats, and definitely not in large proportions for years. The last Wildcat he saw was Chad at their game against one another the year before only for a brief post-match handshake before they hopped onto their next plane.

'Which Wildcats mom?' Troy asked urgently, 'Please, which ones?'

'Oh well…' his mother said slowly, clearly enjoying torturing her son, 'From what I know there's Chad and his fiancé,'

'Taylor?' Troy prompted.

'Something like that…and then there's Ryan and his little wife…Kelsi. They're both visiting from London, to see Ryan's sister who still lives here. Oh and Zeke…he's been hired to help set up the new restaurant chain here in town, and then he'll be back to San Francisco,'

Troy racked through the names he'd been told, one obvious absence glaring in his brain.

'Anyone else mom? Is…there…anyone else coming?'

His heart twisted painfully, as his mother playfully pondered on the answer. The name that he knew was still absent…he didn't know whether he wanted it to fall from his mother's lips. It had been five years. Five whole years and they hadn't exchanged a single word since he picked up his suitcase in the middle of the night and left. Seeing her would be like…

Torture. Sweet torture that he could never stop no matter how he tried.

'Oh…' his mother said innocently, looking away from him, 'Just a…a certain young lady,'

'Certain…ex-fiancée,' Jack elaborated, 'Perhaps,'

'Gabriella,' Troy breathed, 'Gabriella's…coming,'

'Anna might have mentioned something about her coming over for a week or two,'

Troy grimaced, sliding his eyes shut. Gabriella. Gabriella Montez was _here _in this city with him. This week just got a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

'We're here!' Taylor squealed quietly, squeezing Gabriella's hand tightly, 'We're finally here!'

Gabriella laughed, 'We are Tay,'

'And we have been for ten minutes,' Chad added from Gabriella's other side.

Taylor rolled her eyes sheepishly, 'Shut up. This is just so exciting! We're all here in the same city for once! It's…exciting!'

'Where are all your big words?' Gabriella jibed, stopping to look at Taylor, 'Aren't you like some super-genius?'

'Nah. That's you,' Taylor shot back.

Gabriella stuck her tongue out at her playfully and they fell back into step with Chad.

The taller man was standing in amongst a crowd of people who were curiously staring and whispering at the Knicks star. Chad, oblivious, continued to look around, his head swivelling from side to side.

'Where are they?' Chad groaned, looking down at the two girls beside him, 'They said they'd be here!'

'Chad! Oi! Fro boy!'

All three gathered turned their heads at the friendly shout to see Zeke standing at the other side of the crowd, waving his hand madly above his head.

Taylor squealed again and without warning launched both herself and Gabriella into a run.

The pair, giggling madly, dodged the crowds skittishly, weaving in and out of the numerous people. They ducked beneath suitcases and danced nimbly around stodgy tourists, fixated entirely on the people on the other.

They emerged from the throng breathless and silly and were thrown instantly into the arms of the gathered people.

'Oh my god!'

Sharpay, naturally, was the first to wrap her bony arms around Gabriella. Her overwhelming shampoo-y scent surrounding Gabriella, providing an odd sense of familiarity and comfort. The blonde squeezed her tightly before releasing her to arms length. Her eyes swept Gabriella up and down critically before she finally nodded, 'You look fabulous,' she said decidedly.

'Fashion talk later,' Zeke laughed, pulling Gabriella from her, 'My turn,'

He folded Gabriella against his lanky frame fondly, 'I'm so glad you're home. I made these _amazing _cookies. You'll love them,'

She laughed, but before she could respond she was whisked out of his arms as well.

'Gabriella!'

Kelsi's warm, smiling face was the next to appear before Gabriella. The small girl beamed broadly at her, and threw her arms around her neck.

'I have so much to tell you about! There's London and Ryan and oh my god, Ryan and…' she garbled hurriedly.

'I can't wait Kels,' Gabriella replied genuinely, 'We'll have heaps of time to talk!'

'Let her breathe Kels,' a soft voice broke in.

Both Kelsi and Gabriella turned around to see Ryan, last in line, waiting patiently for Gabriella. As Kelsi turned to look at her husband her face softened and she docilely nodded.

'Gabs,' Ryan said gently, extending his arms to her.

'Ry,' she replied, stepping forward into his embrace.

Ryan hugged her softly and she rested her chin on his shoulder.

'It's great to see you. It's been a while,' he murmured.

'It has,' she replied sadly, 'I've been so busy.'

Ryan let go of her and smiled, 'Well you're here now! We have plenty to catch up on!'

Gabriella stepped aside as Chad made to slap his fist against Ryan's. When they were done, the rest of the group gathered around them.

'So, you guys good to go home?' Ryan asked.

Gabriella nodded affirmatively, 'More than good,'

Ryan plucked Gabriella's carry-on from her shoulder and Zeke stepped in to handle her suitcase.

'Guys,' Gabriella sighed, 'I can carry it myself,'

'We know,' Zeke shrugged, 'But you shouldn't have to,'

'Aaaww,' Sharpay sighed, 'You are too cute,'

Zeke grinned at Sharpay, and cupped her chin, 'Don't you know it babe,'

As Zeke and Ryan moved ahead of the group, Gabriella fell in step with Sharpay and Taylor. She turned to the blonde with her eyebrows raised.

'Something you wanna tell me missy? Something between you and…'

Sharpay stared back at Gabriella, mortified, 'Gabriella! How dare you suggest such a thing! Of course not! We went to prom together like…eight years ago. That was it. He went to Cornell and I stayed in Albuquerque. It was…nothing!'

'Well, girl, that didn't look like nothing to me,' Taylor remarked sassily.

Sharpay harrumphed at them and turned her nose up, 'You don't know what you're talking about,'

Taylor and Gabriella exchanged glances and smiled knowingly. Sharpay was deluding herself, but if they had anything to do with it, that would change soon.

* * *

'Come inside, please!' Gabriella begged as Ryan's car slid up to the kerb.

'Gabi, we shouldn't,' Taylor said, 'Your mom is probably excited to see you. She'll want to spend as much time with you as she can,'

'Yeah, that novelty will last for ten minutes,' Gabriella said, 'Then she'll get called to work. Mother daughter moment over.'

'That's not true…' Ryan began, only to be silenced by Gabriella's look.

'Come on! Please!' Gabriella pleaded, 'It's been so long since I've seen you guys! We have so much to talk about!'

'But your mom…'

'My mom won't mind! I'll be here for a while, we'll catch up eventually!' she insisted.

'But _we'll _be here for a while,' Ryan remarked pointedly.

Gabriella sighed, staring at him sadly, 'How many times have we been together since we graduated high school? I really want to catch up with you guys…please?'

Ryan looked around the car for someone to back him up, only to see the same expression on everyone else's face. Resignation. Gabriella's sweet, melancholic stare had them like putty in her hands. They were all prepared to go in.

'Fine,' Ryan relented, 'Let's go!'

Gabriella perked up instantly, clapping her hands together, 'Excellent!'

The Wildcats slowly traipsed out of the car and gathered onto the sidewalk.

'If your mom minds, Gabriella,' Ryan said, 'I'm gonna blame you!'

She smiled sweetly at him, 'She won't mind. She'll be gone in ten minutes,'

With that Gabriella set off up her garden path, a light skip in her step. She made her way up to the door, and primly rapped on the wood. When there was no reply, she sighed and delved into her purse to retrieve the key.

'Mami!' she called, letting herself in, 'Mami? Are you home?'

'Gabriella!'

Gabriella smiled as her mother's frantic voice floated through the house, 'Gabriella! You're home!'

Anna Montez suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, a wide grin on her face. She bolted down the stairs crying out in Spanish, before opening her arms to her daughter. Gabriella squealed, and darted toward her mother and straight into her embrace.

'Mija,' her mother cried, wrapping her in a tight hug, 'You're home! You're home!'

Gabriella buried her face in her mother's shoulder, savouring the hug. She made a point to come home as often as she could while she was away, but when she was busier and the time they spent apart grew longer they appreciated each other even more.

Finally her mother let her go, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, 'It is so good to see you,'

'You too Mami,' Gabriella said earnestly, pressing a kiss to her mother's cheek.

Suddenly her mother stopped, finally spying the other people in the room. They were all red-faced and shifting from foot to foot, embarrassed at the intimate display they had witnessed.

'Oh!' Anna cried out, unwrapping herself from her daughter, 'You are all here!'

Ryan looked worried as she approached them all. Anna's grin grew wider and wider as she neared them.

'You have all grown _so _much!' she cried, 'Look at you all!'

They all laughed, visibly relaxing as the older woman kissed them all on the cheeks, babbling away to them all.

'Sit! Sit!' she insisted, herding her daughter and her friends into the lounge room, 'Mija, you must be starving!'

'I am,' Gabriella said earnestly, 'You know how Taylor and I feel about plane food!'

Gabriella swung herself up onto her mother's couch, crossing her legs underneath her. Soon the rest of the group followed suit, perching in various places around the room. Anna Montez bustled back in, carrying a tray of coffee and food, which she placed in front of them. Chad dove toward the tray without a second thought and began devouring the cookies.

'Chad!' Taylor scolded, clearly mortified, 'We're…we're at someone's house. Please…'

Gabriella laughed, 'Has that ever worked?'

Taylor sighed resignedly, 'No. But I hope in vain,'

'Keep hoping honey,' Anna remarked, sitting down beside her daughter, 'But you can never take the teenager out of the man,'

Anna then turned to her daughter, smiling widely, 'I'm so happy you're home for two whole weeks mi hija! We have a lot to catch up on!'

'We do Mami,' Gabriella agreed, 'I can't wait to tell it all to you. And catch up with these guys of course,'

Gabriella gestured to the Wildcats who were all staring at her. They were half the reason she was in Albuquerque.

'Oh, talking about catching up!' Anna said suddenly, 'I saw the Jack at the store last week and I told him you were coming back for while. He said that he and Lucy would _love _to catch up with you,'

'Jack? As in…' Taylor pried curiously.

'Bolton,' Anna clarified.

'Coach!' Chad cried, 'Awesome! I haven't seen him in years! Is he still at the school?'

Sharpay laughed dryly, '_I _could tell you that one. I assure you, that man will never quit. You should have seen when he got sent home last year because he had the flu! I've never seen a man more distraught!'

'Oh man…' Chad mused quietly, his eyes faraway, 'I really gotta meet up with him! Zeke, you'll join me right?'

'Sure dude, you call him and I'll be there!'

'Wow…Coach…I just…I can't believe!'

Suddenly the sound of the phone ringing ripped through Chad's nostalgia.

'Excuse me,' Anna said softly, 'I have to get this!'

The older woman darted from the room, and the entire group could hear, 'Yes. Of course. I can come in now. It'll be no hassle,'

Gabriella sighed, wrinkling her nose, 'I told you guys,'

'Gabi…' Taylor said, 'It might not be what you think…'

'Gabi. Mija. I'm so sorry,' Anna reappeared in the doorway, clutching a tote bag, 'Work called, I have to go,'

'That's ok Mom,' Gabriella shrugged, 'Like you said, I'm here for two weeks, we'll have plenty of time,'

'Are you sure?' Anna said seriously.

'Sure mom. Go, really. I'll be fine here,'

Anna hummed unhappily, 'I wanted to spend so much time with you…anyway, you kids feel free to stay here, talk for a while. I won't be back til morning so…have fun,'

'Bye Mami,' Gabriella said, offering a kiss for her mother, 'I'll see you soon,'

With that Anna turned on her heel, still muttering in Spanish and disappeared from the house. The entire group sat in silence as they listened to the sound of her car revving up and fading as it moved down the street.

'Well,' Gabriella said, clapping her hands together, 'Can we talk now!'

'Yeah, we can talk!' Taylor said sharply, 'You're friends with Jack and Lucille Bolton? Since when!'

'Since…' Gabriella trailed off, shrugging, her insinuation clarified with an imploring stare.

'Girl, I live a block away from you and I see you every weekend. How did I not know this?'

Gabriella frowned, 'I didn't realize it was important. After…you know… we kept in contact. It's no big deal…'

'No big deal?' Sharpay questioned, 'No big deal that you're still friendly with T-…his parents?'

Sharpay diplomatically skirted around the "T word" that had been forbidden in Gabriella's vocabulary for a long time to which Gabriella nodded thankfully at her.

Ryan elaborated on his twin's speech, adding in, 'What Shar's trying to say is…isn't it…weird? You know, keeping in contact with two people who will always have loyalties to…him?'

'Look,' she sighed earnestly, 'Five years ago they were almost my in-laws. Almost my _family. _And…just because _we _are over, doesn't make that family go away.'

They lapsed into silence and Gabriella groaned, 'Now, please. I've only been home an hour and we're already talking ancient history? Have we run out of things to talk about already!'

They all laughed and Sharpay gasped, 'Oh my god Gabriella. I saw this top down at the mall on Saturday and it is totally skin tone compatible for you! While you're in town you _must _buy it! I insist!'

Gabriella giggled, relieved that talk had moved away from her ex-fiancé. And before they knew it, conversation rolled smoothly and their lives were intertwining once more.

Just how it should be.

_I love this city tonight  
I love this city always  
It bears it's teeth like a light  
And spits me out after days  
_

_

* * *

_**Reviews are my favourite kind of birthday present!!**


	2. Unexpected

**Disclaimer: Don't own HSM. Never have never will. **

**Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed last chapter! Also a thanks goes out to the people who favourited and alerted the story; even silent praise is appreciated. **

* * *

'Troy! Dinner's ready!'

Troy looked up at the sound of his mother's voice. He had previously been contemplating the photo that remained on his nightstand. He had been ushered up to his bedroom that to take a nap after he had finished his coffee and found himself in a room completely untouched by the hands of time. It remained perfect, just as he had left it, a shrine to its previous owner. Nothing had been moved; from the basketball trophies that filled the walls right down to the pictures he had left behind.  
Like the one in his hands. He had found it after hours of tossing and turning, bringing him to the realization he wouldn't be sleeping that afternoon. He rolled over and found the picture staring down at him and suddenly he couldn't tear his eyes away.

Troy sighed, dropping his eyes back to it. The Wildcats as he remembered them. He wasn't sure who took the photo because every single one of them was included in the image before him. They were all gathered around one another, clad in vibrant graduation robes. Chad was the first face that drew attention, his face contorted in an ecstatic yell. Taylor was swept up in his arms, forever frozen in mid-giggle. Beside them was Kelsi, grinning madly with her arms thrown around her boyfriend excitedly. Ryan had his hand clutching onto his twin's, who was clinging onto Zeke's back. And there in the middle of it all was them. 18, innocent and unknowing. They stood just in front of all their friends, entwined with one another tightly as if they were the only two in the world. His hand rested on her cheek and she stared up at him giddily, her dark eyes sparkly and full of all the things he used to know.  
How it used to be.  
Before the storm.  
Troy traced their outlines morosely; that pair in the picture were in love. They didn't know that in less than two years they would be engaged only to have the rug torn from underneath them and their worlds upended. They could never have known that they would wind up here.  
Here.  
Where exactly was that? He was single, lonely and living in LA. None of those things had ever been part of his plan. He had the fame and the fans but looking down at their faces, frozen happily in time it suddenly seemed so hollow. The life he was leading wasn't the life that the romantic, idealistic 18-year old had once planned.

'Troy! Come downstairs! Dinner's on the table!'

Groaning, Troy pushed himself up off the bed, placing the photo back on the nightstand.

'I'm coming mom!'

Troy wandered down the stairs and into the kitchen where both of his parents were already sitting around the table.

'Did we wake you Troy?' his mother asked concernedly.

'Nah,' he shook his head, 'Just…looking around at some of my old things. Really takes you back,'

Jack grinned, as his son took a seat beside him, 'Your mother only goes in there to clean it. She says she wanted to leave it just as you left it!'

'For the sake of sentimentality!' his wife hissed.

'Who cares about sentimentality! The boy hasn't been home in almost a decade! A pool table would be more at home in the room!'

Troy rolled his eyes, cutting over his parent's banter, 'Can I eat? Please? I'm starving!'

'Oh of course baby,' his mother said softly, 'Your plate is on the counter,'

As Troy moved toward the kitchen counter to retrieve his steak his father broke in.

'Is it really wise for you to be eating whatever you please Troy? You do want a basketball career to go home to right?'

Troy sighed, taking his seat beside his mother, 'Dad, it's steak and mashed potatoes, not a Big Mac and fries,'

'Son,' his father advised sternly, 'I'm concerned for your career, that's all,'

'I know dad,' Troy replied, shrugging, 'But you have no idea how long it's been since I ate a meal that hasn't been entirely planned by a uptight nutritionist?'

Before his father could volley back another well-meant warning the phone rang. Troy's mother tenderly wrapped her hand around her husbands wrist and smiled, 'Jack, honey, maybe you should get that,'

Jack sighed, pushing himself away from the table, 'Fine,'

He lumbered over to the incessant phone and scooped it up, while Troy and Lucille resumed conversation.

'So baby,' his mother coaxed, 'Tell me…everything. Do you have a girlfriend?'

'Mom,' Troy whined, 'Come on!'

'What? I'm trying to be involved in my baby's life!' Lucille defended.

'I'm 25 mom,' Troy said condescendingly.

'I know, I know!' she cried, 'So…girlfriend?'

Troy groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, 'No. No girlfriend…haven't for…years,'

'Hmm…' his mother hummed, 'I can't imagine why!'

Troy dipped his eyes away from his mothers, paying extra attention to the way he cut his steak. Maybe his mother couldn't imagine why but…he _knew _exactly why.

Gabriella Montez.

It was and always would be Gabriella Montez. No matter how many dates he went out on, no matter how many beautiful women he met in LA, none of them could ever size up. From the moment he shook hands with them they were already, unknowingly, being compared to a girl they'd never met. Their hands were bigger, their fingers were shorter. Their hair was too blonde, their eyes too blue. They laughed too loud, they didn't eat dessert. They weren't Gabriella.  
It had been five years and still she was everywhere he went. And he wasn't sure that would ever change.

'Of course,' Jack's rumbling voice cut over Troy's musings, 'It's good to know that you landed safely. I'm sure Lucille will call you before you leave, I know she's dying to catch up with you!'

Troy's mother turned her head at the sound of her own name. She frowned at her husband curiously and cocked her head to wait for his answer.

'Ok, well I'll let you go then. It was nice to hear from you! Talk to you later Gabriella,'

Troy's heart lurched as his father uttered that name. That hadn't been what he was expecting. He wasn't prepared. He closed his eyes, painfully trying to regain control of his pulse.

'Was that Gabriella?' his mother asked curiously as Jack made his way back to the table.

'Yeah, she just called to say that she landed safely in Albuquerque and that she wanted to catch up before she went back home,'

'Oh that sounds lovely!'

'Gabriella?' Troy asked, his voice strangled and choked, 'Gabriella called here?'

'Yes sweetie,' his mother replied hesitantly.

'Why? Why would she call here?'

'Honey…we're…friends with Gabriella. We stayed friends. Is that a problem?'

'Uh…no…' Troy stumbled, 'It's…not a problem. I just…didn't know!'

'Well,' Lucille frowned, 'We didn't realize it would mean that much to you. We're just old friends who keep in touch from time to time,'

Troy nodded mutely, looking back intently at his steak. That was a lot to process. His parents and Gabriella. _His _Gabriella.

'So…uh…' Troy started uncomfortably, desperate to drive the conversation anywhere by his ex-fiancée, 'Uh…this is wonderful steak Mom!'

Lucille launched herself into an excited babble about the sale that she got on the meat and Troy allowed himself to tune out, his own thoughts drowning her voice out.

Gabriella Montez, in the same town as he was. They were mere blocks away for the first time in five years.

Troy nodded as his mother continued to gush incessantly, still chewing on his steak. His mind was reeling. What did he do about her?

* * *

Troy couldn't sleep.

It was as simple as that. After years of sleeping on a custom-made, orthopaedic mattress supplied by the team sponsor, coming home to his childhood mattress was a culture shock.  
At least that's what he'd tell himself. He could blame out-jutting springs and lumpy stuffing because that was the easiest way to go. It was far simpler than saying the only thing keeping sleep at bay was a certain brunette's face, constantly swimming before his eyes.  
It was easier to blame the bed because it didn't force emotions to resurface dangerously. Emotions that should have drowned years ago.

Troy glanced at the clock, glowing on his nightstand. 11pm. Most nights in LA he wouldn't even be at home by this hour, let alone in bed.

Troy fidgeted beneath the comforter restlessly. His legs were twitching with built up energy that came from mere thoughts of Gabriella. He hated to think what it would be like if he ever saw her again.  
Seeing her again.  
There was a thought that had always been a distant musing for him. One day, someday, eventually. He had honestly never expected it to happen. Even if she did see him she'd probably walk in the opposite direction. But suddenly…he had been presented with a new scenario. Together in the town of their final high school years, _their _town.

His surplus energy spiked and he jerked bolt upright. He tossed off the comforter and leapt out of bed. Quietly he padded out of his bedroom and along the hall to the top of the stairs. His father's snores racketed loudly from the room behind him and Troy sighed. It was safe to say his parents were asleep.  
Barefoot, Troy made his way down the stairs and into the office. If his parents were still in contact with Gabriella Montez they had to have her phone number…somewhere.  
Determination setting his jaw, Troy began his search for the number. He wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do if he found it but right then, he only knew that he _needed _it.

Feeling oddly like a child again, Troy siphoned through scraps of paper piling up on the desk. Yard maintenance guys, hedge trimmers, and newspaper clippings announcing Lakers wins. In his search Troy unearthed towers of tabloids with his own face splashed across the cover with, more often than not, derogatory slurs underneath them. _Bolton Bites Back Tears. Troy's Tragic Terror – The Secret Past He Doesn't Want You To Know About. _

Troy snorted, tossing the magazines back onto the floor. He had to ensure his mother recycled them in the morning.  
Finally he found it. A small book with a trite illustration of kittens playing with yarn on the front. His holy grail.

With a newfound anticipation suddenly pulsing through his veins Troy flicked to the 'M' index. His thumbed through his Aunt Marjorie's number, and his mother's best friend Catherine Malone. He found the number for their dentist and the new pizza place Mario's.

And then…

Montez.

There, in his mother's messy black scrawl was the number he'd spent hours look for.

G Montez.

Biting his lip Troy snatched a piece of paper from the desk and copied down the number. He had it. Finally.

After all these years and it was his parents who offered him another chance to talk to her.

Suddenly struck with excitement Troy pulled out his cell phone. It didn't matter that it was almost midnight by now. It didn't matter that she'd probably panic when she saw his name. It didn't matter that she'd probably buy a ticket for the first flight out of Albuquerque to wherever she lived now. He had her number, and that was enough.

Impulse fuelling his every move, Troy tapped out a hasty message. Before reason could kick in his fingers scrambled over the send button. He took a deep breath, screwing his eyes shut. He shouldn't send it. He shouldn't send it. He shouldn't send it.  
His phone sang at him and Troy opened his eyes again, looking down at the screen.

_Message Sent._

* * *

Hours after the Wildcats had disbanded, Gabriella found herself lying on the bed in her mother's guest room, staring at the ceiling. Her mother's house… It always would be _"her mother's house" _never her own. After Gabriella graduated from Stanford and announced her intentions to flee California her mother had packed up and returned to Albuquerque to take a position of seniority in her company. With this new move she bought a new house in a new neighbourhood and led a new life without her daughter. Every time Gabriella visited her mother she always felt uncomfortable and unwelcome in the house she'd never lived in.

Sighing, Gabriella rolled over onto her stomach. This hadn't been what she had envisioned for her first day back in Albuquerque. She had hoped her mom would at least have been home for dinner on the eve of her homecoming. No such luck. What was she supposed to do now?  
As an answer to her thoughts her stomach whined loudly and Gabriella groaned. That was what she was supposed to do.

Swinging herself from the bed, Gabriella got up and padded her way down the stairs. She wondered what Taylor and Chad were doing. She knew that they had agreed to go back to see Chad's parents for dinner on their first night but unfortunately for Gabriella that left her high and dry.

At the sound of her insistent stomach Gabriella wandered into the kitchen. Blindly she fumbled around until she located the light switch, which blinked to life, shedding a bright, unnatural light on the room.  
As she began to scratch through her mother's freezer, Gabriella contemplated her conversation with Jack Bolton earlier that evening. He said Lucy really wanted to catch up with her before she left town.  
Try as she might though, Gabriella struggled to imagine herself facing Lucille and Jack Bolton again. She had done so dutifully for years after Troy left for both their sakes. Five years ago they had all needed consoling: Troy had morphed into something none of them recognized. He had broken up and moved away from woman he loved more than life itself without warning and in his wake left two devastated parents and one ex-fiancée. In that time Gabriella focused on Lucille's grief and concern rather than think about her own shattered life. It was her coping mechanism.

But that was five years ago.

Since then she'd emailed them from time to time to update them on their almost-daughter-in-law's life. She sent them a Christmas card and every year without fail they'd send a birthday card in return.  
They'd been far too kind to her, far too hospitable to their only son's ex-fiancée. They didn't have any duty to be decent to her, let alone kind. As Ryan had said before, they would always have loyalties to him. She should be thankful.  
Gabriella nodded, finally yanking a Lean Cuisine box from the freezer. She would definitely call Lucille Bolton. She owed them a visit at the very least.

Ten minutes later and Gabriella found herself sitting on the kitchen bench, chewing on her frozen lasagne. From where she sat she could see out into the quiet suburban street. Not a soul moved or made a noise outside and with each bite Gabriella took she became increasingly aware of her solitude.

Suddenly her cell phone burst to life, effectively shattering the silence. At the unexpected sound Gabriella shrieked and flailed off the kitchen bench, knocking her fork with her. It clattered to the ground beside her, echoing resolutely through the house.

Gabriella snatched the phone of the bench and quieted it. Once the silence settled again, she winced standing up. She waited hesitantly for angry neighbours with pitchforks and wailing police sirens but was greeted with only more silence.

Rolling her eyes, Gabriella turned her attention back to the source of calamity. She glanced down at the phone in her hands, with it's lit screen.

_One New Message._

Perplexed, Gabriella opened it. Number Unknown.

She frowned curiously. Why would someone whose number she didn't possess be texting her at 11:48pm? Curiosity overcoming her, she scrolled down to read the message.

Hey Gabi. This is Troy Bolton. How r u?

Gabriella swore her heart stopped. For a second her heart ceased to beat in her chest, and she was rendered senseless.  
She was swept with a bizarre numb sensation as she stared disbelievingly at the screen. The hand clenched around her cell phone loosened, and it dangled dangerously from her limp fingertips. She blinked owlishly, certain that she was dreaming.

Carefully, Gabriella looked back at the screen. _This is Troy Bolton._

No. There was no mistaking those little letters there in black and white. It definitely spelt out his name.

She frowned, scanning it again. _How r u?_

It had been five years since he walked out of their apartment, and then…suddenly… _How r u?_

How did she respond to that? Did she respond at all? What was she supposed to do?

Sucking in a few breaths, Gabriella steadied herself against the kitchen counter. That was unexpected. What did he expect her to say?

Unsteadily, Gabriella pulled herself back up onto the granite. She crossed her legs into a yoga pose, placing the offending phone in her lap.  
It was Troy. Troy Bolton. After five years. And he was casually asking how she was. She…she could deal with that.

Her initial, irrational reaction was throw the phone as far as she could and buy a brand new one with a brand new number the second she got back to Manhattan.

Once she had attempted a few more, deep, cleansing breaths, she became a little more lucid. She could ignore him. Not respond at all. Pretend she never got the message. He'd never know any different.  
Satisfied, Gabriella laid her phone beside her. That was it. She would forget that ever happened.

She resumed eating her now-cold lasagne, making certain to concentrate on every bite. Up. Down. Up. Down. She wondered where Troy got her number. Did he deliberately seek it out? Did he just find it and decide on a whim that it would be nice to catch up?  
Gabriella glanced back at her phone, glowing with the neglected message. _Hey Gabi.  
_**Gabi.** Just…casual, like it hadn't been half a decade since they'd exchanged a single word. How could he do that?

She pondered his intentions. Was he bored? Curious? Waving a white flag? What did he want?  
It would be so easy to ignore the message, delete it and move on. She could not reply and her life would go on as it had been since he left. Nothing would change, everything would stay the same.  
But, the niggling voice in the back of her mind reminded her that it wasn't that simple. They had been together for so many years. They had seen each other through high school and for the greatest portion of college. They'd been engaged, ready to start a life together and the best of friends for a very long time. Despite her bare finger she would always bear a certain amount of fondness for her first love. It was the way life worked.  
She could always reply to the message. What would it hurt to reply to an old friend?

Gabriella plucked her phone back from the bench and opened a new message.

_Hello Troy._

She frowned, biting her lip. No… it didn't fit quite right. It was too formal, too uptight. She needed to sound…casual about the whole ordeal.

_Hey Wildcat._

She shook her head, frantically tapping the delete key to erase the letters. _Too _casual. This replying was far too difficult.

_What a surprise! You were the last person I was expecting to hear from. I'm good. What about you?_

Gabriella scanned over the message meticulously. _I'm good. _That didn't imply anything, left everything uncomplicated. Just how it needed to be.

_Message Sent._

* * *

Troy honestly hadn't been expecting a reply. Because…honestly, why would she reply? They hadn't spoken in five years, why would she start now?

But when his screen flashed, shedding blue light in the dark living room Troy swelled with excitement. He read over the message quickly, savouring the fact that somewhere in Albuquerque Gabriella Montez was awake, thinking of him too.

_It's great to hear from u. I've been good 2. I heard ur in Albuquerque. _

He pressed the sent button firmly, and sat back, trying to ignore the butterflies pooling in his stomach. Now he waited…

* * *

Gabriella honestly wished that she hadn't pounced on the phone the second it began to signal his reply. She honestly wished that she wasn't beginning to feel restless and twitchy like a teenage girl again.

_Yeah I am. Just for a while. How did you get this number anyway?_

She rapped her painted nails nervously against the screen, waiting for him again. He didn't disappoint when moments later her phone vibrated.

_Hijacked it from my mom. I heard u were in town thought I'd catch up with u._

He heard she was in town…and stole the number from his mother. That meant two things. He _wanted _to talk to her and he was also…

_So r u in town 2?_

Gabriella found herself biting her lip, eyes wide. He…he couldn't be in town. Not after all these years. He just…couldn't.

_Yep. Visiting the folks for a while. Y r u here?_

She volleyed back almost instantaneously.

_Tay dragged me. I had no choice._

_Lol. Sounds like Tay. R u staying with all the wildcats?_

He knew that all the Wildcats were in town. Did Chad know Troy was going to be in Albuquerque when he put her on the plane? Gabriella made a mental note to strangle him the next time she saw him.

_No. We're all staying with our own parents. Expect Ry and Kels who are staying at Sharpay's._

* * *

Before Troy knew it, hours were sliding away and they were rapidly approaching dawn. He sat, hunched over his phone, tapping away in reply to her rapid messages. They didn't discuss anything important, certain to skirt their way around anything that could be classed as difficult. But the more he spoke to her, the more questions he found filling his head. He was brimming with pleas and wonder about the girl he felt he barely knew anymore. He needed…more.

Unbidden, his fingers began to dance over the keys of his phone. He no longer had any self-control, his instincts taking over. He didn't even have a chance to glance down at the message that he knew he shouldn't send before he tapped the button, sending his heart into cyberspace. Crap.

* * *

The phone vibrated in Gabriella's hand, and instantly she opened it.

_Would u like to catch up with me tomorrow night?_

Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip hesitantly. Sending him messages was one thing but…face to face? Could she handle that? He had been her friend for so long but things were different now…

Her sharp, geniuses brain took control and Gabriella found herself replying with the only answer she could.

_Yes._

* * *

_Who are you now, are you still the same or did you change somehow?  
What do you do at this very moment when I think of you?  
And when I'm looking back on how we were young and stupid.  
Do you remember that?_


	3. Seeing You Again

**I'm being taken to **_**the **_**roughest state school in our area tomorrow, I'm from the prissy, private girls school, and I may not make it out alive. I thought I'd give you a chapter as a celebration. :P**

**Disclaimer: Don't own HSM, Disney, or any other related enterprises. Wish I did however…**

* * *

'So is there a particular reason we're shopping?' Taylor asked disinterestedly as she flipped through a magazine in the dressing room of the store they were currently scouring through.

'Do we _need _a reason to shop?' Sharpay shot back defiantly.

Taylor looked up at to blonde's head, which was visible from behind the candy coloured curtain. She raised her eyebrows at her and Sharpay disappeared again.

'No, there's no reason,' Gabriella replied, her voice muffled by her own pink curtain, 'Just…shopping…'

'Is that why we were looking at strappy high heels before?' Taylor questioned knowingly, 'How often does a law student need those?'

Gabriella's head emerged from behind the curtain, a frown furrowing her brow, 'I happen to like high heels!'

'Yeah, is that a crime?' Sharpay cried.

'Shut up Shar,' Taylor laughed, 'I'm not attacking shopping as a hobby but in my informed opinion Ms Montez is hiding something from us,'

Gabriella sputtered indignantly as Sharpay's head appeared again.

'How do you know?'

'I'm a future politician,' Taylor shrugged, 'I know all about hiding things!'

Sharpay then turned on Gabriella.

'What are you hiding?' she accused.

Gabriella looked outraged, pursing her lips firmly, 'I am not hiding _anything_!' she hissed insistently.

The brunette threw back her curtain, fully clothed and stalked from the change rooms, huffing with contempt. Sharpay burst out seconds later and tore into the main store, Taylor close behind.

They found Gabriella in the corner of the store, flicking violently through a rack of clothes.

'So who is he?' Sharpay harassed, hovering close to Gabriella's ear.

'He!' Gabriella all but shrieked, 'There is no he!'

'Then why are we looking at date clothes?' she teased.

'They are _not _date clothes!' Gabriella insisted, keeping her eyes firmly on the t-shirts before her.

Taylor quirked her eyebrows at her, reaching for a top that Gabriella had discarded, brandishing it at her, 'You're telling me that you'd wear this to dinner with your mother?'

Gabriella spun around, scowl firmly in place, 'Yes. As a matter of fact I would!'

Sharpay snorted, eyeing the plunging neckline of the top, 'Uhu. And I'm Amish.'

'I thought I would be nice to go shopping with my friends whom I don't get to see that often! Is that such a crime?'

With that, Gabriella turned on her heel and marched out of the store.

Sharpay and Taylor exchanged weary glances.

'Oh, she's definitely not telling us something,' Taylor laughed.

Quickly, they tossed down the clothes in their arms and followed Gabriella's path.

* * *

They found her moments later sulking outside the store.

'We're sorry Gabs,' Sharpay coerced sweetly, curling an arm around her friend's shoulder, 'We were just joking,'

Gabriella remained silent, still pouting.

'Aw, come on!' Sharpay insisted, 'It was just a bit of fun. Would it make it better if I bought you a cup of coffee?'

Gabriella perked up considerably, 'And a muffin?'

Sharpay looked at threw a glance at Taylor who nodded encouragingly, 'Fine. A muffin too,'

Gabriella grinned again, 'Ok, let's go,'

Sharpay linked her arms with Gabriella and Taylor joined on her other side. Together they walked toward food court giggling.

Twenty minutes later and they were all seated around a table, sipping coffees, gossiping shamelessly.

'I'm not joking,' Sharpay cried, 'I saw Jason and Martha last week. Martha was…_easily _eight months pregnant!'

'Awww,' Gabriella sighed, 'That's so sweet!'

'I know!' Sharpay replied, 'But who would have ever thought…Martha and _Jason!'_

Their gossip session was broken into by the beeping of Taylor's phone.

'Uh oh,' Gabriella teased, 'Chad alert!'

Taylor ignored them, flipping her phone open. Her dark eyes swept over the screen, and her sharp features melted into a soppy smile.

'Oh no!' Sharpay cried dramatically, clutching Gabriella's arm, 'She's gone to the dark side!'

Gabriella laughed, 'What does Chad want?'

Taylor looked up, an uncharacteristically starry eyed look in her eyes, 'He asked me to dinner,'

Sharpay's grin faded, 'I don't get it…you and Chad are engaged. Why is going to dinner with him exciting anymore? Don't you have dinner every night?'

Taylor shook her head, still grinning, 'He doesn't take me out every night? I can dress up…look pretty…and…have an excuse to break out some new lingerie!'

Sharpay cheered at that, 'That is excellent! Now we _do _have a reason to shop!'

Gabriella nodded cheerfully, downing the last mouthful of her latte. She pushed herself away from the table, gathered her things while Sharpay and Taylor followed suit.

'So, where do you wanna go first?' Gabriella asked, bumping her hip against Taylor's playfully.

'Somewhere where I can get something…sexy,' Taylor nodded decisively, 'Chad and I don't often see each other out of power-suits, sweaty gym clothes and pyjamas,'

'Ugh…' Sharpay shuddered, 'That's my worst nightmare!'

'I think it's sweet,' Gabriella smiled, 'They're comfortable with one another, there's none of that…awkward business. You don't worry about your hair being messy, or looking frumpy…it's just…comfortable,'

Gabriella then frowned, her dark eyes softened with momentary sadness.

Taylor shot Gabriella a concerned glance and Sharpay deftly changed the subject, 'So…how about…this store?'

As fast the sadness had come, it disappeared at Gabriella's face lit up, 'This place is amazing Tay. We will find you the _perfect _outfit!'

Knowing better than to push her friend, Taylor hoisted a smile onto her own face, taking her best friend's hand, 'I'll hold you to that promise!'

Together they marched into the store and set about pulling dresses off the racks.

Sharpay watched carefully as Gabriella held up different dresses to her body, displaying them for Taylor. She giggled and smiled but Sharpay knew that there was definitely something she wasn't telling them. And she wasn't called a ruthless bitch for nothing. Just because she didn't want to tell Taylor, didn't mean she wouldn't spill to her.

Glancing around hastily, Sharpay's eyes landed on a billowy, green cocktail dress. She skimmed through the coat hangers until she located Taylor's size and thrust it into the dark skinned girl's arms.

'Taylor. It's perfect for you. Try it on now!' she insisted.

'I don't wear green,' Taylor said wearily, accepting the dress.

'Just try it on!' Sharpay growled.

'Ok…'

Taylor headed off toward the direction of the change rooms and Sharpay made a direct line for Gabriella.

The smaller girl was still sifting through the racks. From time to time she'd thoughtfully hold up a dress against her own frame before shaking her head and placing it back.

'So, who are you trying to impress?' Sharpay questioned softly.

'What!' Gabriella squawked, startled.

'Who are you trying to impress? Who are you shopping for?'

'Nobody,' Gabriella replied firmly, 'I'm just looking.'

'Gabi. You wouldn't be looking for a dress unless you yourself was going somewhere with someone worthy of impressing. So, I repeat. Who?'

Gabriella shook her head, 'No one. Just drinks with…an old friend,'

'Male or female?' Sharpay fired back.

'Male,' Gabriella admitted begrudgingly.

'Do I know him?'

Gabriella's eyes slid away from her friends suspiciously and Sharpay gripped her wrist, 'Do I _know_ him?' she repeated insistently.

'Maybe…' Gabriella said vaguely.

Sharpay cocked her hip, raising her eyebrows at her smaller friend. Gabriella sighed, scrunching her face up.

'If…' Gabriella started, her voice dropping to a whisper, 'If, I tell you who I'm going to dinner with tonight you have to promise not to freak out,'

'Ok,' Sharpay swore, bobbing her head.

'And you _cannot _under any circumstances tell Taylor,'

Sharpay was about to protest when she caught the urgency in Gabriella's eyes.

'Ok,'

'Promise me!' Gabriella hissed.

'I…I promise!"

Gabriella glanced around the store for Taylor before grabbing Sharpay's wrist, dragging her behind a large rack of skirts.

'Gabi!' Sharpay cried, 'What…'

'Ok,' Gabriella began, taking a deep breath, 'Last night, out of the blue, I got a text from someone. We hadn't spoken in…a long time. We got to talking and then…he invited me to meet up with him tonight,'

'Who Gabi?' Sharpay insisted.

Gabriella looked down at the ground shamefully, 'It's…it's Troy,'

'Guys! What do you think!'

Taylor's cheerful exclamation tore Gabriella and Sharpay from their discussion. Both girls looked up guiltily.

Taylor pranced around barefoot before them, allowing them to critique the dress.

'Hmm…you're right. Not your colour,' Sharpay said quickly, 'Um…try this one,'

Both her and Gabriella grabbed a handful of dress, pushing them toward Taylor. The other girl frowned suspiciously, plucking the material of a silver floor length gown, frowning.

'You…uh…you do know that I'm going to dinner with Chad, not the President right?' she laughed hesitantly.

'Oh…well…you never know when…things like that happen. It's a beautiful dress,' Sharpay said, 'Try it on!'

Taylor narrowed her eyes at them, staring for a few moments before she turned and disappeared back into the change rooms.

'Gabi!' Sharpay hissed at her, 'Troy! What the hell were you thinking!'

'I…I wasn't!' Gabriella replied, 'I…we were just talking, and then…I remembered how good of a friend he used to be…'

'Yeah, he was a great friend right up until he dumped your sorry ass over a basketball team!'

Gabriella stopped abruptly, like Sharpay had slapped her in the face. Her eyes glistened dangerously and she bit her lip.

'Oh Gabi…I'm sorry,' Sharpay said, overwhelmed with guilt, 'I didn't mean…'

'No,' Gabriella replied, taking in a shuddery breath, 'You're right…'

'No! No I'm not right! You two _were _great friends…and you know…it's uh…it's been five years, you're both different people now and…maybe it's all just water under the bridge or whatever…'

Gabriella looked up at her friend tearfully, 'You think?'

'Yeah…' Sharpay said, attempting her best "convinced" voice, 'You'll see him and…you'll realize that you were so much better off without him anyway and you two will laugh about all those…crazy things you used to do together,'

Gabriella nodded, breathing deeply, 'Ok. Yeah, you're right,'

'I know,' Sharpay shrugged, 'Now…why don't we go find _you _a sexy dress, just so Troy Bolton can realize just what he left behind,'

Gabriella giggled at that, and nodded, 'Ok. Let's do that,'

As Sharpay helped Gabriella find a dress she prayed that everything would turn out ok. She couldn't let Troy destroy Gabriella again after all these years.

* * *

'Hey…hi…long time no see. Oh god, that's lame,' he groaned.

Troy stared morosely at his own reflection in the mirror. Bare chested, rumpled and definitely lame. If only the paparazzi could see him now.

'Hey Gabi, it's nice to see you again,' he tried experimentally, 'You look nice tonight,'

He shook his head, running a hand through his mussed hair. That was not going to work for him.

He couldn't believe he was so nervous. All day, as each minutes passed, he found himself getting more and more wound up. He played a game of basketball with his father, paced his room and even went for a run in attempt to work off all his crazy nervous energy.

But it seemed no amount of exercise would exhaust the butterflies in his stomach. Every time he found himself physically drained and incapable of moving, his mind would wander. What did she look like now? Did she sound the same? Smell the same? Was she married? Did she have kids? Where was she living?

Every time his mind began to fire off questions the butterflies would begin again. He would be forced to conjure up an image of his last memory with her and her tear streaked face and his stomach would twist guilt. There was no defeating his conscience.

Troy reached for the ironed shirt that lay on his bed. He had spent his afternoon like a chick, prancing about in front of the mirror, testing out different outfit combinations. He was instantly reminded of the years of his youth, just before his dates with Gabriella when he would attempt to gel his hair back, or iron his shirt. In those days, more often than not he wound up with wilted hair and burnt fingers. But this time Troy was determined. He wouldn't be at the bar with a bandage on his fingers. He wanted Gabi to recognize him as someone she used to love.

But why? Why was it so important for Gabi to remember him? What did it matter.

'Just friends Troy,' he breathed, 'Just friends,'

Deftly he buttoned up his shirt, straightened the collar pedantically. This had to be perfect.

He pulled on his pants and quickly ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced in the mirror again. Who was he? Was he Troy, the 18 year old basketball boy, or was he Troy Bolton, Laker's superstar and paparazzi's choice?

Groaning, Troy shook his head. He had gotten himself in way too deep already…

* * *

'Oh sweetie! You look so hot!' Sharpay exclaimed as Gabriella clambered down the stairs.

'Really?' Gabriella asked, smoothing the patterned fabric against her stomach self-consciously.

'Really really,' Sharpay promised, 'He'll barely be able to keep it in his pants when he sees you,'

Gabriella pulled a face and Sharpay moved forward to pull a rogue curl back into place.

'Thanks for being so understanding Shar,' Gabriella said quietly, 'I didn't…I didn't want to tell Taylor, because she and Chad…they just…they wouldn't understand,'

'This seems like a big deal,' Sharpay remarked, still fiddling with her friend's hair.

'It is,' Gabriella breathed, 'It's been so long…and…I always imagined seeing him again. Wouldn't it be better that I plan to meet him than run into him in the street one day with his supermodel wife and two point five beautiful children?'

Sharpay cocked her eyebrows questioningly and Gabriella sighed, 'You know what I mean…it's better that I get over that…seeing each other for the first time when I'm prepared right?'

'Right,' Sharpay nodded, 'At least you're pre-warned,'

They fell into a lulled silence and Sharpay glanced at the clock.

'Quick! Grab your purse!' she hurried, 'We have to get going,'

Gabriella grabbed her purse from the coffee table and slung it over her shoulder. Sharpay ushered the other girl out into her sports car parked in the drive.

As they pulled out of the drive and onto the freeway Sharpay looked over at her friend. Gabriella fidgeted in her seat, her eyes wide and glassy.

'You nervous?' Sharpay questioned.

Gabriella nodded, keeping her eyes trained on the dark road, 'God…yes. It's been _five _years Shar. What…what if I see him again and he's just as amazing as he used to be?'

'Just remember how amazing he was when you flung your engagement ring at him,' she replied dryly.

'Great,' Gabriella said, her voice reaching a hysterical pitch, 'That…that was great Shar. Great advice.'

'Sorry…I was being honest,' she shrugged.

'Seriously Shar!' Gabriella shrieked, 'What do I do?'

'Just remember that he hurt you,' Sharpay reminded gently, 'And remember that you are worth so much more than that,'

Gabriella inhaled deeply, 'Yes. You're right. Better than that,'

The neon lights of the bar glowed ominously and Sharpay pulled her car closer to it.

Gabriella muffled a scream into her purse.

'Gabi…' Sharpay said sympathetically, 'You're going to hyperventilate. And trust me, there's nothing less sexy than sucking into a paper bag,'

'Oh my god,' Gabriella breathed, 'He's…there. Less than 40 feet away from me, somewhere inside this building,'

Sharpay nodded, 'I know sweetie,'

'And I have to go in there, and see him,'

'Yeah,'

'Oh my god,'

Sharpay looked over at her friend, who was shivering in her own seat. Gently, she reached out to touch her wrist.

'Gabi…it's not too late. You don't have to go in there. Just say the word and I'll turn the car around. You can join me, Ben and Jerry's and Hugh Grant for a soppy chick flick marathon,'

Gabriella shook her head, clutching her purse tightly, 'No…no. I…I have to do this. We're both grown ups, we've both moved on…'

Sharpay nodded silently, allowing her friend to muse out her own thoughts.

'It'll mean nothing and at the end of the night we'll both go home to our separate lives,'

Gabriella suddenly turned sharply in her seat to look at Sharpay, 'This is it,'

Sharpay smiled softly, reaching over the console to wrap her friend in a tight hug.

'Stay safe sweetie. Don't do anything I wouldn't,'

Gabriella giggled into her friend's shoulder and Sharpay pulled away, looking thoughtful, 'No…wait. Don't do anything I _would _do,'

The brunette pulled away, sliding herself out of the car. Sharpay revved up her car's ignition again, pausing to look at Gabriella.

'You know you can call me at anytime,' Sharpay said seriously, 'I'll be up here as fast as I can. No matter when…'

Gabriella nodded, 'I know,'

Smiling, Sharpay blew a kiss at her, 'Good luck,'

With that, Sharpay manoeuvred her car onto the dark road, leaving Gabriella standing alone in the middle of the parking lot.

Helplessly, Gabriella watched as the lights of her friend's car faded into the darkness and she sighed, turning around slowly to face the bar.

Her stomach knotted as she studied the neon lights. She could do this. She could do this. She could do this…

Taking another deep breath, Gabriella hitched her purse onto her shoulders and marched purposefully toward the door. This was it.

* * *

'Can I get you anything man?'

Troy looked up at the voice of the perpetually insistent bar tender. He had arrived at the bar half an hour earlier than he had intended and wound up, drinking nothing but water, anticipating Gabriella's arrival. As the minutes wore on the bar tender grew increasingly irritated at the lack of revenue Troy was providing and calmed himself by badgering Troy in the hope that he would eventually order.

Troy shook his head, holding up a hand, 'No…I'm good. Just waiting for a friend,'

The bartender raised his eyebrows knowingly and Troy rolled his eyes, 'I'm here early. She hasn't stood me up,'

Yet.

Part of Troy wasn't satisfied. It felt far too simple to be true. After five years he found her number, called her and asked her out. It wasn't supposed to be that simple. She was probably going to stand him up.

Troy winced, trying to rid his mind of the horrid thoughts. He didn't need to be thinking about that. He needed…

'On second thoughts,' Troy called out to the bartender, 'I'll…'

Troy found his words falling on deaf ears. The bartender was staring at something behind Troy, with an excited, predatory look in his eye.

'Dude!' Troy tried again, but found himself silenced by a meaty hand waving in his direction.

Fed up, Troy twisted in his seat to see what or whom the bartender was ogling. She'd have to be pretty decent to tear the man away from potential tips.

And there she was.

For a moment, Troy swore his heart stopped. Every drop of air was sucked from his lungs and he found himself incapable of coherent thought. After five years, there she was.

She hovered shyly in the bar doorway, completely oblivious to both the bartender's and Troy's insistent stares. Her eyes flickered over the patrons of the bar searching him out. In five years, it didn't seem like a thing had changed. It was as if she had stepped directly from his memory, untouched by the hands of time. There were differences but they were so subtle that if she hadn't been under his intense scrutiny then he wasn't sure he would have noticed.

Light rings shadowed her eyes, most likely products from late night study sessions, and there was something about the way she held herself that struck him how much she'd grown up. She seemed vastly more mature and worldly since the last time he saw her.

After a moment, a frown began to grace her features and she bit her lip. She didn't think he was here.

Abruptly, Troy's brain kick started to life. He stood up, waving out to her.

'Gabriella!' he called, surprised he could even form real words anymore, 'Over here!'

She looked up at the sound of his voice and their eyes locked. For the first time in five years, since the day he walked out of her life, their eyes locked again. Deep mocha met clashed with lightning blue and Troy was rendered speechless. Her eyes, the ones he used to read like a book were now foreign to him. They were filled with something deeper and masked, showing the effect of memories he wasn't there to make.

She stood at the door of the bar, frozen, staring back at him as if torn between moving forward and fleeing.

And then she smiled. Her face split into a grin and she waved back, making her way over to him.

Troy had to fight the common burning sensation that coiled in the pit of his stomach as he watched every head turn as she passed by. It had taken him years as a teenager to cease punching every man who looked. And now… he was fighting the same feeling, when he had no right to.

'Troy,' she murmured, fighting through the last wave of people, '…Hi.'

Troy was overwhelmed at the sense of familiarity he felt when she spoke. Her voice was just like he remembered it, light, lilting and honeyed. It brought on waves of languid late nights, curled into one another, sharing the deepest dreams and thoughts. It brought on all that he had missed.

She smiled nervously, finally reaching him.

'Uh…hi,' he said, 'Hi!'

She giggled out of discomfort rather than amusement and they lapsed into an awkward silence. Gabriella stared up at him uncomfortably, a small smile on her face, while she waited for him to make the next move.

'So…uh…sit! Sit!' Troy insisted suddenly, pulling out a barstool for her.

Primly, Gabriella hoisted herself onto one of the leather stools, placing her purse in her lap.

'What would you like sweet thing?' the bartender crowed.

Troy clenched his jaw as Gabriella smiled sweetly, leaning subtly away from the strange man.

'Have you gotten anything yet Troy?' Gabriella asked, deflecting the bartender's advances.

'No…not yet. I'll have a beer,' Troy jerked his chin towards the bartender who only scowled in return.

'I'll just have a screwdriver to start then,' Gabriella said softly.

Once the man was gone Troy turned to Gabriella. Where did he start a conversation with someone whose parting sentiment was to throw her engagement ring at his head? _So…that bruise went down eventually…_

Questions, residual from half a decade apart, bubbled to the surface and he grappled to make sense of even one. His eyes flickered to her hand, his stomach flipping nervously. As he caught sight of her bare fourth finger he almost sighed audibly in relief. But then…why should he care? It wasn't any of his business anymore…

Trying to stop the onslaught of shame, Troy decided on the simplest of questions he could find.

'Uh…how have you been?'

Gabriella frowned slightly, 'Not bad…busy, but not bad. But you know, can't complain. You?'

'Well…' Troy grinned wolfishly, 'It's LA. What else can I say?'

A smile twitched at Gabriella's lips and she nodded knowingly, 'Yeah…that says enough, doesn't it? Although I can't talk, New York can't be much better,'

'New York?' Troy questioned, surprised at how easily their conversation was moving, 'Is that where you are now?'

'Yeah, I…uh…moved there after college,' Gabriella said, bobbing her head affirmatively.

Troy winced at her pause. _Moved after college _translated roughly to _after you left _and he knew that. They skirted delicately around anything that would even suggest that they had once almost gotten married.

'What about law school?' he said, determined to plough forward.

'I've got one year left at NYU. I did an internship so I'm guaranteed a high up position as soon as a graduate which is…great. It's so exciting,'

'Alright,' Troy laughed, 'Congratulations,'

'What about you…how's the Lakers?'

'Sweaty,' Troy replied, shrugging, 'Training doesn't start up for a while, that's why I got the hell out of there and came home,'

'I bet your parents are thrilled to have you back,'

'Yeah well, first time in seven years!'

'Here're your drinks,' the bartender snarled, reappearing suddenly. He slammed Troy's beer bottle on the bar top, causing frothy liquid to spill over the neck of the bottle. Troy rolled his eyes, while the bartender set about placing Gabriella's screwdriver in front of her carefully before disappearing with a wink.

As Gabriella hesitantly sipped her drink Troy couldn't help but look at her. What had happened to her? What had he missed? He wanted to know the names of all her boyfriends, he wanted to know how she was when he left. He wanted to know the woman that sat before him.

Soon their first drinks disappeared and he was tapping the bar for another round. As the night wore on they began to relax and before they knew it, it was as if they were two old friends simply catching up.

If only.

* * *

'So, I've seen a fair bit of you in the tabloids,' Gabriella remarked, after finishing her third drink. As the alcohol took it's toll both of them had instinctually loosened up

Troy nodded, running a hand over his chin embarrassedly, 'Yeah well…you can try your damn hardest to stay out of the spotlight but sometimes…'

'It just follows you…' Gabriella finished, nodding her head, 'That's understandable,'

Troy shot her a curious look and she sighed, 'They followed me too,' she admitted shamefully, 'For a few months…after, my name got out. They wanted to know everything. I think it really wore on their nerves that I never said a word, so they went away eventually.'

Troy smiled at her, bumping her shoulder gently, 'Thanks. A…a lot of girls wouldn't do that for me,'

'Yeah, well, I'm not a lot of girls,'

'I know,'

'Uh…excuse me…'

Both Gabriella and Troy turned at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Behind them stood a blushing red-headed woman, who looked thoroughly embarrassed to be standing there.

'Hi,' Troy said slowly, 'Can I…can I help you?'

'Are you Troy Bolton?' the girl said, biting her lip.

Troy grimaced, before hoisting a winning smile on his face, 'Yeah, I sure am,'

'Oh my god!' the girl gasped, 'That is so amazing! Would you mind signing this for me?'

Gabriella offered him a wry smile, producing a biro from within the depths of her purse. As Troy set about following the fan's requests, Gabriella shamelessly studied him.

She hated to admit it, but the second she had laid eyes on him there had been a flash. A moment, brief and fleeting, when his face from the last she had seen him. All she had seen was the impassive and blank expression and dull, clouded eyes. The face that had lost it's vibrancy from days of begging. _Please Gabi. You have to come with me. _All she had seen was heartbreak.

And then she blinked again and reality came crashing back. As it turned out, time had done no harm to Troy Bolton. His skin was tanned and glossy from hours of California sun and if anything only made the blue of his eyes stand out a little bit more. Years of basketball had formed muscles in his forearms that strained against the material of his shirt and as he spoke to the fan she noticed a shift in his posture. He seemed more charming, more cocky, more vibrant. Sitting there with his fan, it struck Gabriella that he looked like a celebrity.

If she hadn't known better she'd have sworn she'd never met him before. Where was the man she used to love? Where was _her _Troy?

'Thanks for your support!' Troy exclaimed, waving the red head away, 'Enjoy your night,'

As Troy turned back around Gabriella was struck with a bizarre sense of melancholy. She didn't know him. The Troy Bolton before her was a celebrity, an idol for society. The Troy Bolton before her lived a perfect life in the spotlight. Without her.

'So…where were we?'

* * *

'That was fun,' Gabriella sighed, as they walked out of the bar together later that night.

'Yeah,' Troy agreed affably, 'I did have fun,'

'I thought it'd be _really _awkward!' she laughed, her honesty an effect of the meagre amounts of alcohol in her system, 'But I didn't think it was too awkward at all,'

'No,' Troy nodded, 'Surprisingly enough it wasn't,'

She teetered on her heels tipsily and Troy caught her arm to support her. They halted to a stop and Gabriella smiled up at Troy, 'It was great seeing you again,'

Troy nodded again, 'We should…catch up again. Give me a call if your ever in LA or anything…'

Awkwardly, Troy opened his arms to her, unsure of how she would receive that. She smiled softly and stepped into his embrace.

They hugged briefly, Troy almost dying at the heavenly familiar feel of her body pressed against his, but it was over as soon as it had begun.

'So uh…bye Troy,'

The awkwardness had finally settled over them. This was their ex-partner that they were hugging. They were making promises to see one another when they knew with all likelihood that this would be the last time they ever saw each other again.

'Yeah… see you Gabriella,'

She nodded and Troy moved off toward his rented SUV, trying to ignore the aching of sadness behind his eyes. He pointed his keys at the car to unlock, keeping his eyes firmly trained on his ex-girlfriend. So that was it. It was done.

His heart ached as he watched her away, knowing there were so many things he could say but he shouldn't. He still had so many questions for her, so many hours that they deserved to spend together. This didn't feel like closure…

He watched carefully as Gabriella pulled out her cell phone. Her fingers danced nimbly over the keys, before she pressed it up to her ear.

She pursed her lips, jiggling on the spot while she waited for an answer. When no such thing came she groaned and began to redial the number.

'Hey Gabs?'

Gabriella's head jerked up at the nickname that had slid naturally from his lips. He winced but continued nevertheless.

'Yeah Troy?'

'How were you planning on getting home?'

'Oh…well…uh…I was planning on calling Sharpay,' she explained, waving her hand toward the phone, 'She offered to pick me up,'

'Look…I don't mind dropping you home. It would be no hassle,'

She frowned at him hesitantly, 'Are you sure Troy? Because Sharpay doesn't mind…'

'No,' Troy waved that thought off, 'It'd be a pleasure to drive you home. I promise,'

'Are you sure?' she insisted.

'Positive. Now come on, get in the car,'

Gabriella rolled her eyes, smiling, 'Pushy, pushy,'

She walked towards him and begrudgingly allowed him to help her into the car. He shut the door behind her and went over to his side.

'Ever the gentleman Troy,' she remarked as Troy joined her in the car.

'Well, my mom had to have done _something _right,' Troy joked.

He jammed the key in the ignition of his car and started it up. As he did the lights began to glow and the soft hum of music began.

'The Clash?' Gabriella giggled, 'Really? You still listen to that crap?'

'They are classic rock legends,' Troy defended, 'Better than your bubblegum Disney shit. You still listen to that?'

Gabriella's grin widened, 'Perhaps. Whoever said there was anything wrong with Miley Cyrus?'

They lapsed into silence and he turned his head and their eyes met with a stare that made Troy know they were both thinking the same thing. It was those little things, idiosyncrasies just like their taste in music that could only be known with intimacy and affection. Things that reminded how they once used to be. But what saddened Troy the most was the fact that it was no longer his right to know how she liked her coffee or how she slept most comfortably. It was no longer his right, because one day, Gabriella would share that with someone else, someone more deserving.

He cleared his throat, breaking the melancholic silence.

'So Gabriella? How long are you in town for?'

'Just the fortnight. I'm a very busy woman you know,' she replied, glad to hear her own voice in the previously silent car.

'I bet you are. I bet they're begging you to come home at that law firm of yours,'

Gabriella deflected his comment with a modest shrug, instead choosing to attack him with a question, 'What about you? How long are you hanging around for?'

'A week. My boss threatened me with bodily harm if I went away for much longer,'

She laughed, 'If the tabloids are anything to go by…'

'Oh they are too kind on him. They don't even know _half _of it,' Troy revealed, 'But let's stay on this tabloid thing a little longer…since when does super-freaky-genius Montez read the rags?'

'I happen to enjoy them,' Gabriella defended, 'Particularly when I have a number of close friends who live in that world. Ryan and Kelsi are in there occasionally as well you know,'

'Yeah, yeah,' Troy jibed, 'You know you just get it for me,'

The car was briefly silent and her eyes flashed. Troy wondered whether they were still to uncomfortable to tease one another. Just like they used to…

Then Gabriella grin, rolling her eyes.

'You are so conceited!' she accused.

'It's an LA thing,' he crooned back.

She slapped his arm giggling, and their banter resumed. Their drew closer and closer to the city of Albuquerque once again and Troy sighed.

'You know…being here I just feel like I'm eighteen again. Full of starry eyed dreams, and promises about my future,' he said softly.

'Yeah,' Gabriella agreed, her eyes distant.

'Don't you…don't you ever wish that you could be that kid again? Back when life wasn't about…careers and money and…society? When life was just…'

'Simple,' Gabriella finished, 'I know what you mean. Troy, sometimes I just want to go back to those nights when it was just the six of us, hanging out by Sharpay's pool, talking about all the things that we wanted to do with our lives. I…I wanna go back and actually do some of those things,'

Before Troy could respond, the ear-splitting sound of squealing tyres filled the air. Troy looked up, alarmed, searching for the root of the noise.

He wished he hadn't.

Hurtling towards them was a massive semi-trailer, completely out of control.

And suddenly everything thing seemed to slow down.

Troy threw a look at Gabriella and watched as her face contorted with fear, her eyes wide and petrified.

She screamed his name but her hysterical plea fell on his ears muffled and distorted, as if he was hearing everything from underwater.

He watched the truck in its plight towards them, his feet jammed against the brakes. As he did, a bizarre, calmed sensation swept over them.

That truck was going to hit them, he realized slowly. They were going to be hit, and there was nothing they could do about it. He wondered what it would feel like. He hoped to god that Gabriella would be alright. Were these his last moments on earth?

He reached for Gabriella's hand and tightly they interlaced fingers. He wanted to say sorry. He wanted to tell her that this wasn't how he'd planned their lives. He wanted to tell her that she was and always would be the only woman he could ever love.

In his frozen, twisted state he noted the smallest things. He watched the blinding lights of the truck swing toward them, pinning them to their seats with it's unnerving stare. He saw the sparks flying off the tyres at their protest and he watched the snarled face of the truck driver as he was jerked backwards.

Gabriella opened her mouth emitting a blood curdling scream and suddenly time sped up again.

Troy squeezed his eyes shut and they clutched one another desperately waiting for the crunching impact to come.

_I'm so sorry_, he thought.

And then there was black.

_If this was the last day of your life  
What would you do to make things right?  
Cause this is the last day of your life  
Who you gonna call to make things right?_

* * *

**Bet you didn't see that coming!**


	4. Inside The Black

So this was what death felt like.

To Troy, there was nothing. Spiralling darkness, that seemed to go on for the rest of eternity. And silence. Insufferable, painful silence pressing down, suffocating him.

He wondered if this was really the end. What would the newspapers say? Would people be gathering around to stare and gawk at his corpse? Would Chad hear about it and come to his funeral? Would he even _have_ any friends who would be sad for his passing?

He honestly had to admit he was disappointed. He waited for the white light, singing angels and the gathered loved ones. He expected to exit the world with a bang and spend the rest of eternity living out the best days of his life. He had expected something more than…black.

Slowly through the darkness, the faintest whispers of noise crept in. Like cracks in pottery, the noises grew louder and louder.

Maybe this wasn't what death felt like. Maybe this was his lucky day.

Desperately, Troy writhed against the suffocating darkness. He wasn't spending the rest of eternity like _that._

As he broke through the surface, reality hit him like a gust of cold air. He was suddenly aware of the bright, glaring lights burning into his skull. He aware of the unnatural angle at which his body was at. And he was most definitely aware of the silence. More silence that stretched on forever and forever.

'Oh god…' he groaned as he came to.

Troy squinted, clasping a hand to his throbbing head. His mind swum, irrelevant thoughts and feelings littering his brain. He tried to focus, to slow his frantic, disorientated mind. His tongue felt thick and groggy and he blinked, surveying his surroundings slowly. Something was wrong…something.

His fingers clawed around him, connecting only with woven cloth. Ceiling. He was lying flat on the ceiling. Of the car. They were upside down.

And then it all came back. The truck. The crunching impact. The glittering lights as they tossed back and forth off the road. Gabriella's blood curdling scream. Gabriella.

'Gabriella,' he gasped, 'Gabriella! Where are you?'

The silence engulfed him once more and his heart began to pound painfully against his rib cage. He couldn't bear to think what it meant if she didn't answer…

'Gabriella! I'm serious! Talk to me!'

There.

There she was, illuminated by the glaring lights of the truck, shining through the shattered windscreen.

There.

There she was, tossed painfully to her side, facing away from him. Her body was wrong, twisted at angles that just weren't natural.

There.

There she was, her head lolled back, her eyes shut.

'Gabriella!' he yelled desperately.

He scrambled on his hands and knees towards her. Shards of glass dug into the flesh of his palms and he knew he should have felt something. Anything. But…

Troy reached out for her and she rolled bonelessly toward him. Her face was a terrifying porcelain white. Her lips, once so crimson remained parted and it seemed that every ounce of colour had been drained from them. A large, deep gash was weeping on her forehead and her cheeks were littered scratches and abrasions. Her eyes were closed shut, her eyelashes casting shadows on her snow white skin and a thick, congealed stream of blood trickled over her temple and down her face, appearing from beneath her hairline.

She looked like…

She looked like death.

'Gabi!' he begged, cupping her damaged face, 'Can you hear me?'

His hands fumbled blindly over her skin, searching for hope. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be dead.

He pressed his fingers to the hollow of her neck, suddenly unable to breathe. She couldn't…

There.

It was faint and weak but it was there. A pulse fluttering against his fingers. Gabriella sucked in rattly, shallow breaths, her chest barely moving with her efforts.

'Gabriella,' he whispered, 'Gabi, please wake up,'

She was hurt. She was…she was…

Troy felt a hysterical panic rising up within him. What did he do? What if she died? What if he couldn't help her? What had he done?

He listened as she drew in another faint breath, making an odd wheezing sound. She was getting weaker and weaker. And he was doing nothing.

He reached hopelessly around the cabin for his cell phone. He needed to call 911. Gabriella needed help.

When his fingers finally connected with a rectangular box and he dragged it closer to him. This was it. He could help her.

As it drew nearer, it was cast into the bright light.

'Fuck!' Troy swore loudly, tossing his phone away. The screen was shattered and half the keys were missing. It was useless. He couldn't save her.

Gabriella drew in another rattly breath and Troy's heart rate picked up. He _had _to help her.

Desperately, he lunged for Gabriella's blue purse, thrown haphazardly against the cracked windscreen. This was his only chance.

He fought the initial, instinctual wave of guilt as he dove his hand into the bag. This wasn't the time for chivalry.

What did he do if her phone wasn't there? What if it was broken? What if he couldn't get service?

They were on a quiet road outside of Albuquerque. How long would it take for them to be found? What if it was too late?

Finally he curled his fingers around what felt like a cell phone and pulled it out. The screen cast a sickly bluish glow over Gabriella's deathly features, and displayed proudly a full signal.

'Thank god,' Troy cried.

With shaking hands he punched in the three digits. As he waited for an operator, his eyes darted over to Gabriella nervously. Her chest barely shifted with each dying breath she took. She wouldn't last much longer.

'Come on Gabi,' he murmuring, reaching out for her limp hand, 'Stick with me here…any minute now,'

'911 what is your emergency?' a cool voice interrupted.

Troy almost passed out with relief when he heard her. Help at last.

'I've been in a car accident,' he garbled, all the words he needed rushing forth quickly, 'My friend…she's uh…she's unconscious,'

'Does she have a pulse?' the woman asked.

'Yeah. Yes,' Troy nodded, his heart thumping as he gripped her hand tighter, 'She has a pulse. But it's really weak. I don't know what to do…'

'Stay on the line,' the voice ordered, 'Keep talking to me. Are there any other injuries?'

Troy squinted out the windscreen. He could barely make out the shape of the driver in the overturned truck.

'Uh…yes. The…the driver of the truck. I – I don't know if he's alive. I don't want to move from the car,'

'What happened, can you remember?' the voice pried softly.

'The truck,' Troy said quietly, finding his mind oddly empty, 'The truck…it hit us. We were driving home and it hit us. The car's upside down,'

'Ok,' the woman replied, typing into her computer, 'Now, can you tell me where you are?'

'Uh…' Troy frowned, desperation lacing his voice.

As hard as he tried he couldn't conjure up the name of the road he was on. He knew it. He knew he knew it. What was it…

'I don't…I don't know,' Troy confessed hopelessly, 'I don't know!'

'Ok sir, calm down. Are you inside Albuquerque?'

'No,' he said instantly, shaking his head despite the fact that she couldn't see him, 'No, we were on the way into Albuquerque,'

'Are you on a busy road?'

'No,' he answered again, 'There's no cars at the moment,'

'How far would you say you are from the city?'

'About five minutes away,' Troy answered vaguely, 'I…I don't know,'

'That's okay sir. What can you see from where you are?'

Troy tore his eyes away from Gabriella, scanning the outside world through the cracked windows.

'Well…uh…' he began blankly, 'There's a couple of trees…and behind the truck I can see the city. I can see the bank building in the distance…it's all lit up,'

He heard the clacking of keys in the background, 'Ok, I've got it. There's an ambulance on the way sir,'

Troy didn't bother responding, instead keeping his eyes trained on Gabriella.

'Gabi,' he begged, squeezing her hand, 'They're coming. You'll be fine. Please, just…stay with me. Fight for me.'

'Sir,' the woman on the other end interrupted again, 'Can you describe your friend for me? What signs is she showing?'

'Uh she's…uh, she's breathing funny. She makes a weird wheezy noise when she breathes in,'

'Are her breaths shallow?'

'Yes. Her chest is barely moving at all,'

'Ok, what about her radial pulse?'

'Radial…what?'

Troy was lost. Suddenly as the woman shot him questions about her radial pulse and her left breath sounds he was lost. Gabriella would have known what to do. Gabriella did all those first aid courses as a teenager. Gabriella would have an answer, she always did.

But he didn't.

'I…uh…I…' Troy panicked, 'Uh…'

'It's okay sir,' the woman soothed, 'Calm down for me ok? The ambulance is on it's way,'

'I don't know!' Troy exclaimed, helplessly, 'I don't know what to do!'

'Stay on the line with me. Keep talking to me and tell me if anything changes.'

'O-Ok,'

Troy stared intently at Gabriella, clinging desperately to her hand. She had to be ok. She _had _to be ok.

* * *

From then on, time blurred oddly for Troy. One moment he was clinging onto her hand, listening to her whispery breaths filling the car and then the car was silent, and he was screaming for her life.

And then there were flashing lights and deep rumbly voices that belonged to people whose faces he would never remember. There were machines and sirens and the tinkling sound of shattered glass. There was a pair of burly arms wrapped around his torso and the harsh, ripping surface of the gravel beneath his skin as he was dragged from the car. There was the clacking of a gurney unfolding and an oxygen mask shoved over his face.

He could remember Gabriella's body, limp, lifeless and broken as she was lifted from the car. People shouted harsh things, paramedics scurried to and fro and Troy sat there on the side of the road, watching.

He watched as they placed Gabriella on the gurney, every part of her body strapped and secure. He watched as the gurney rumbled across the road, and they jerkily shoved it into the back of an ambulance. He watched and knew somehow that this was all his fault.

'Son?'

Troy looked up at the sound of a gentle, prying voice. Behind him stood a silver-haired man, clad in paramedics uniform.

'Are you going to ride with her in the ambulance?' he questioned softly, 'There's room. Otherwise we'll have to wait for the next ambulance,'

'No, no!' he said urgently, rising to his feet instantly, 'I'll come.'

Troy swiftly moved to the ambulance, hoisting himself into the back. He fell into the spare seat, amongst the bustling paramedics. They all poked and prodded at Gabriella, lying fragile and bruised on the bed. They murmured things at one another, and pointed with a forced calm at beeping monitors. In all the people taking care of Gabriella there was no one _taking care _of Gabriella.

He reached for her tiny hand, enclosing it in his once again. Her fingers hung, boneless in his grip.

_Come on Gabi, _he willed silently.

'Sir, are you in any pain?'

He turned to the young paramedic holding out a stethoscope hopefully.

'What...no. No! I'm fine. Can you just…fix Gabriella!'

'Sir, Ms Montez is fine. I need to check up on you…are you in any pain?'

Troy locked eyes with the steely paramedic. He didn't know what he was getting into…

'Sir,' the paramedic said, his teeth gritted, 'If you do not co-operate I have the right to sedate you. I can't be sure of your condition if you do not answer my questions,'

Troy glared at the younger man. If he was sedated Gabriella would have no one. No one to make sure that the medic idiots were doing there job, no one to hold her hand.

'Fine,' he growled, 'I…I have no pain,'

It was the truth. He was numb. Completely painless. He could barely comprehend that this was happening to him.

The paramedic rolled his eyes, moving away from Troy, 'Fine,'

He then turned to one of his colleagues and murmured something to him, causing the other guy to nod in affirmation.

The ambulance rocketed along the highway into Albuquerque, rocking Troy back and forth in his seat. He smacked against the wall, jammed his knees into the gurney and banged his head on a nearby monitor. And still he felt nothing.

The siren cut off suddenly and the back doors were flung open. A flurry of new faces appeared before Troy, and they all began shouting again.

The paramedics shot to their feet, hurrying to a position around the gurney. They eased it out and into the waiting hands of the doctors who were all demanding answers.

'Gabriella Montez, aged 25, unconscious as result of a car accident. Decreased breath sounds on left side, weak radial pulse,' one paramedic barked as they pushed the gurney out.

The doctors garbled questions to the paramedics that Troy didn't even think that he could begin to understand. Where they even speaking English anymore?

Troy was shoved unceremoniously out of the ambulance, and he stumbled on the hard surface. Already doctors were swarming around Gabriella, blocking her from his view. They surged on her pushing her toward the hospital, gurney clacking against the ground and Troy trailed after them helplessly.

'Somebody page Dr Meyers for a neuro consult,'

'Should I get plastics too while I'm at it?'

'No, we'll leave that til later,'

'Should I call cardio?'

'CALL NEURO!'

Troy chased after them as fast as he could, despite the odd, numb sensation that had swept him. He felt so withdrawn from everything. This couldn't be happening to him. This couldn't be real.

The gaggle of doctors took a sharp turn down the corridor and Troy stumbled with them. He tried fruitlessly to call out to her, but his voice was drowned out by the arguing doctors.

They shoved the gurney into a small, blue room. Instantly the doctors all began busying themselves with something, pressing buttons on machines, unearthing syringes, fixing cords. A gap in the circle of doctors appeared, and Troy could see Gabriella again. Pale, broken, bloody and alone.

'Gabriella!' he cried.

It was then they realised he was there. The doctor who was most obviously in charge turned and frowned at him imperiously.

'Who the hell is this guy?' he demanded.

'Uh…' another doctor stumbled, 'He's uh…he's…'

'I'm Gabriella's fr-' Troy began uselessly.

'Get him out here! Munro, get this man the hell out of here!' the oldest doctor barked, waving his hands for emphasis, 'This is no place for people!'

'Yes sir,' a smaller, mousy man murmured.

Instantly the doctor latched onto Troy's forearms and began to tug him toward the door.

'No!' Troy yelled, 'Gabriella needs me!'

'She's in good hands sir,' the older doctor droned impatiently, as if it were a speech he gave hourly, 'You need to leave now,'

The doctor holding Troy pulled on him a little more forcefully causing Troy to stumble toward the door.

'She _needs _me!' Troy exclaimed deliriously, 'She needs…someone!'

'Sir, you need to leave. We'll keep you posted. If you don't leave, I'll stand here talking to you when I could be saving your friends life,'

At the mere inference of losing Gabriella, all the will to fight drained out of Troy's body. His limbs hung lifeless and he put up no effort as the doctor led him out of the room.

Pulled by the doctor, he dragged his feet along the hall. Helplessly he glanced behind him where the doctors were all yelling at one another around Gabriella. He knew he should in there.

And then suddenly she was out of his sight. He was in a bigger room, stark, sterile and empty. The doctor released him then and Troy sagged on the spot, barely having enough strength to remain upright.

'Sir, just take a seat,' the doctor insisted, 'We'll be out with news as _soon _as we know anything,'

Troy nodded numbly, without even glancing up.

The doctor clapped his hands together and shrugged awkwardly, 'Well…talk to you soon sir!'

Troy didn't even acknowledge the retreating footsteps instead, stared blankly at the ground.

This couldn't have happened. This couldn't be real. Things like this didn't happen…they just…didn't.

She had to be ok. No matter what they did, no matter how long it took, she _had _to be okay.

_Don't leave me alone, I'm falling in the black  
Slipping through the cracks  
Falling to the depths can I ever go back  
Dreaming of the way it used to be  
Can you hear me?  
Falling inside the black_

* * *

**Hmm…**

**Thankyou all so much for the reaction on the previous chapter! I appreciate it so, so much. Unfortunately I can't know when the next chapter will be, because my exam block is about to start up so I'll be super busy. I'll try to update as much as possible. I understand that this is a short chapter, but it's also very important!**


	5. The Longest Night

There was still no news.

One whole hour of sitting in the godforsaken waiting room and there was still no news. He'd watched nurses bustle back and force, talking to one another in hushed voices and he'd seen doctors jogging through the station, beeping pager outstretched. He'd heard the coughs, moans and groans of slumbering patients and he'd listened to wildly beeping machines.

That was the worst, the shrieking, out of control machinery. The machines that signalled the end of someone's life. Every time a monitor would go off, whirring and squealing, Troy's heart would stop. _Please don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her._

He glanced down at his hands, propped up on his knees. There had to be something he could do. Something other than…this.

He stared helplessly at his denim-clad knee, his eyes suddenly drawn to a large, dark stain on his thigh.

His stomach twisted as he investigated it closer. Blood. It was blood on his jeans. Gabriella's blood.

Suddenly he felt ill, as he stared, fixated on Gabriella's mark on him. How had he not noticed this before?

As he stared closer it was everywhere, on his hands, under his fingernails, dark, discoloured and ugly. Constant, graphic reminders of what had happened.

'What the hell happened!'

Troy looked up at the shrill shriek. He knew that voice from somewhere…

'What. The. Hell. Happened!' the voice screamed again.

His eyes caught on a terrified blonde marching into the waiting area. Despite her rumpled sweatpants and tank top, her dark, deranged eyes were enough to put the fear of God in anyone.

Her eyes landed on him and they took on a manic edge.

'You!' she shrieked, 'You!'

She thrust a manicured fingernail in his direction, edging towards him, 'You!' she demanded, 'You know! What the hell happened!'

Troy shrugged blankly, 'I…We were driving home and…there was a truck driver. He was just…there, on our side of the road…and then the next thing I knew…'

Sharpay sunk, boneless, into the plastic chair beside him, 'Oh my god,' she breathed, one hand flying up to cover her mouth, 'Oh…oh my god,'

Troy watched the girl he once used to know as she silently stared at the floor, wide eyed.

'Oh my god,' she murmured again, 'I just…I don't know…what do I do?'

She looked briefly at Troy who just shook his head, eyes vacant. She was in charge of her family. She was the only person around and she was left in charge. She had decisions to make and things to think about. Things she'd never ever thought about before. She slumped down in her seat with a whimper.

'Have…have the doctors said anything?' she questioned finally, her voice uncharacteristically small.

Troy shook his head fractionally, not removing his eyes from the bloodstain on his thigh. It wasn't supposed to be there. He had planned to have drinks with Gabriella, reconcile, reminisce, remember. It was supposed to be high school flames catching up with one another, thinking of how it could have been. It was supposed to be melancholic not tragic. Winding up with her blood on him was never part of his plan.

'Oh my god! What happened?'

The sound of clacking high heels filled the air and both Troy and Sharpay looked up to find the source. Taylor was tearing across the waiting room in high heels, moving rapidly towards Sharpay. She looked like she'd been interrupted mid-dinner, her hair swept into a fancy updo, wearing a tight cocktail dress. She had literally dropped everything at a moments notice.

'I…I…' Sharpay stumbled, lost completely for words, 'I…'

'Shar! You text me at midnight telling me that Gabi's in hospital and you can't say anything! What happened!'

Taylor's eyes suddenly latched on Troy and her mouth curled into a snarl.

'You!' she exclaimed suddenly, '_You _had something to do with this! Why the hell are you even here!'

Troy shook his head, shrinking away from the violent woman, 'Taylor…look, I was driving Gabi home and…'

Taylor's venom seemed to drain from her immediately, 'Driving Gabi home…w-why were you driving her home?'

Troy looked to Sharpay who shrugged, reciting robotically, 'He called her last night. Gabriella wasn't sure what you'd say…she was freaking out. They went out for a drink, that's the end of the story!'

'End of the story!' Taylor demanded, '_End of the story! _No! This is not the end of the story, because Gabriella is in hospital!'

'The doctors haven't told Troy anything yet,' Sharpay croaked, 'I…'

Taylor's eyes glinted furiously, 'So…we're supposed to just…sit here, completely in the dark, while our friend is just…_dying_?'

Sharpay shrugged, 'I guess so,'

Taylor shook her head, 'Oh, nu-uh. I'm _not _sitting on my ass, waiting for answers. I'll handle them,'

The dark skinned girl turned sharply on her heel and marched toward a gaggle of nurses behind the desk.

'Excuse me,' she said primly, 'I'm wondering if you can give me any information about Gabriella Montez?'

The nurse behind the computer shook her head, 'No m'am. I can't. I'm only allowed to give information to immediate family,'

Taylor's jaw set firmly, straightening herself to her full height, aided by the six inch heels on her feet, 'Look lady, we _are _her family! And so god help me if you won't give me information!'

The nurse was not to be intimidated and instead fixed Taylor with a steely stare, '_Lady, _I'm sorry about your friend, but as you are not her immediate family, I cannot tell you _anything _yet,'

'Look! I _need _this information ok!' Taylor insisted, 'I…we…are her family. The best she's had for years! So, let me say, _one more time, _what do you know?'

The nurse simply rolled her eyes, 'Let _me _say one more time that if you don't stop badgering me, then I will call security,'

Taylor leapt forward to launch herself at the nurse viciously, her fists raised to attack. The nurse scuttered back on her chair, her eyes wide. Just as Taylor threw herself over the bench, she was tugged back.

'Hey…' a soft, rumbling voice murmured in her ear, 'Hey, hey, hey,'

A pair of arms wound their way around Taylor's waist, holding her against a strong body firmly.

Taylor looked up at the sound of her fiancé's gentle voice. Chad towered above her, his brow furrowed with concern. He turned her in his arms carefully, so her head was pressed against his chest, and he hugged her.

'This won't help her,' he whispered, 'She wouldn't want you to do this,'

Troy watched carefully as Chad shifted both of their bodies away from the nurse's station, but he didn't release her for a second.

'I need to know,' she whimpered, 'This is Gabi…'

'Exactly,' Chad sighed, 'This is Gabi. She's gonna make damn sure she survives, just so she can finish law school!'

Taylor flashed a brief, vague smile nodding as if she were trying to convince herself.

Carefully Chad manoeuvred them toward the bay of chairs, still murmuring softly to his fiancée.

And then suddenly he froze. His eyes lighted on Troy and his entire body tensed. The same, familiar warm brown Troy had grown up with locked on empty, vacant blue. They remained unmoving, staring at one another, only absent shock ringing through Troy's mind. Suddenly Troy ducked his head, breaking the eye contact, submitting to whatever Chad would feel about him. He probably deserved it.

Chad however, said nothing, instead curling Taylor closer to his body, selecting two seats for them, on the other side of the room.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Troy registered that it was a serious moment. The first time two brothers had seen one another in half a decade, the first time two men who had last seen each other as boys clapped eyes on one another, the first time they saw one another in a different light. He should feel something like sadness or melancholy or at the very least resentful.

But there was nothing. Only the dull echo of hospital noise, vague in the chambers of his mind.

'Sharpay called and said…'

Troy lifted his head wearily at the sound of another familiar voice before him. Ryan, rumpled and sleepy stood in front of him. He looked as he had just rolled out of bed and pulled on what was on the floor as soon as he had gotten the call. Exhaustion pulled at his eyes, mixed with a terror that Troy knew he was desperate to hide.

'Somebody tell me what's going on!'

Kelsi suddenly appeared at Ryan's side, equally as exhausted. Her bottom lip was quivering dangerously, her eyes glistening brightly. Everything seemed so out of sorts and upside down. Ryan wasn't wearing pink, Kelsi wasn't wearing her hat. Something was wrong...

'Gabriella's been in a car accident,' Chad said flatly, staring intently at the linoleum floor, not even bothering to glance at his petrified friends, 'We don't know anything yet,'

Ryan frowned, his eyes flickering back over to Troy curiously, 'But why…'

'I don't know. I don't care,' Chad shrugged.

Troy bowed his head again, training his eyes on his gory hands. It would be better if he were silent.

Ryan murmured something softly to Kelsi, and they too took up a vigil for Gabriella.

And so the waiting began.

* * *

That night never seemed to end. Silent, still, not a single distraction from the death and distress before them. Over time Ryan pulled his wife into his lap, and she fell into a fitful sleep full of tears and muttering. Taylor sat bolt upright, stiff and staid, her sharp dark eyes trained on the nurse's station as if she were trying to intimidate them into divulging information. Chad held onto his fiancée's hand, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. Ryan sat, wide-awake, despite the sleeping wife on his lap. Over his wife's head he surveyed the hospital around him, occasionally looking over at Troy.

And then there was Sharpay. She slept, though she twitched and tossed through it all. Occasionally she would cry out softly, her eyes snapping open, before she slowly relaxed and fell asleep again. Zeke showed up eventually, his dark cheeks smudged with flower, cake batter smeared down the front of his baggy t-shirt. He had asked few questions and didn't once bother to question Troy's presence. Once he knew all he needed he swept the fitful blonde into his arms, pulling him against his chest. Troy watched, detachedly curious, as he stroked all hair gently until she unconsciously calmed down.

The few odd moments that Ryan would catch Troy's eye were filled with awkward tension. Here he was after five years; waiting for Gabriella when he was certain he really had no right to. They and they alone were her family now. And he was the outsider.

He stared blankly at the world beyond him, completely unaware of anything and everything. She had to be okay. She had to be okay. She had to be okay.

'E-excuse me,'

Troy, Chad and Ryan's heads snapped up simultaneously to locate the source of the voice. A night nurse, small and mousy stood before them clutching a clipboard. She offered them a small, comforting smile.

'Is it about Gabriella?' Chad said instantly, straightening up, 'Tell me what you know! Do you have any news?'

The nurse bobbed her head shyly, 'I _do _have news,' she said quietly.

* * *

_How long the night seems to one kept awake by pain. _

_~Bernard Joseph Saurin_

* * *

**It's kind of short and I apologize for that. My exam block is about to start; my Math exam is first thing tomorrow morning (*sob*), but once that's over the chapters will be longer and fuller. I'm staying up late (for me) on the night before a Maths exam, that's how much I love you guys!**

**Review, please, because you love me as much as I love you!**


	6. Gaps and Spaces

_**Where we left off...**_

_'E-excuse me,'_

_Troy, Chad and Ryan's heads snapped up simultaneously to locate the source of the voice. A night nurse, small and mousy stood before them clutching a clipboard. She offered them a small, comforting smile._

_'Is it about Gabriella?' Chad said instantly, straightening up, 'Tell me what you know! Do you have any news?'_

_The nurse bobbed her head shyly, 'I do have news,' she said quietly._

**_Onto the rest!_**

* * *

'Your news?' Troy prompted urgently, 'What is it?'

The nurse twisted the clipboard agitatedly in her hands, her eyes darting away from theirs, 'The doctors have finished performing all their tests… however they are still waiting on the results,'

'What does that mean?' Chad questioned seriously.

The nurse sighed heavily, 'It means that you can see her. You can't go into her room yet but…we can allow you to see her, the doctors understand how much easier it would be for you if we did so,'

'When can we go in and hold her hand?' Taylor piped in.

The nurse pulled an uneasy face, 'As soon as the results have been confirmed, the doctor will come and inform you all. D-does she have any family that should be called?'

'Anne!' Chad groaned abruptly, raking a hand over his face, 'I forgot all about Anne…I'll call her after we've seen her,'

The nurse nodded softly, 'Well then…if you'd follow me,'

Troy rose to his feet instantly and Ryan set about waking his wife and sister. Together as a group, they followed the nurse obediently. As they wandered through the halls, they heard nothing but silence. Patients coughed and groaned from within the depths of their dimly lit rooms and the occasional TV hummed. Weary night orderlies shuffled the halls with heavy lidded eyes, clutching cups of coffee desperately. A hospital was a dead place.

'Sir…I honestly believe you should be checked out,' the nurse said seriously, sweeping Troy up and down, 'You were part of the accident also. You should at least make sure there's no damage,'

'I feel fine,' Troy insisted, 'There's nothing wrong. _Gabi _is the one that is sick…'

The nurse sighed resignedly. 1am was not the hour to fight with a Lakers star.

Behind him, Chad's breathing was heavy and Troy's stomach wrenched. They were all nervous. What were they about to see?

The nurse stopped suddenly and Troy, close on her heels, nearly tripped into her.

'I have to warn you;' she said gravely, turning to face the group, 'Ms Montez is bruised and battered and unconscious. It will be shocking. You need to be prepared…'

They all fell into a wary, terrified silence. This wasn't what they wanted to hear. They needed the good news, where Gabriella was bubbly and bright, waiting to see them. They suddenly weren't so sure…

'Are you ready?'

'Yes. Of course,' Chad spoke boldly, clasping his fiancée's hand, 'We need to see her,'

'Ok…' the nurse said uneasily, 'Well then, just through this door,'

Almost as one, they breathed in a deep, steadying breath, each mentally trying to steel themselves against what they were about to see. _It's just Gabriella. It's just Gabriella. It's just Gabriella._

Bravely, Chad and Taylor were the first to dive through the doorway. Troy heard Taylor's sharp gasp and Chad's soft curse. This couldn't be good.

'Are you sure Troy?'

It was the first time one of the group had actually addressed him. Ryan, clutching both Sharpay and Kelsi's hands, was hovering in the doorway, waiting on Troy.

'I uh…' Troy stammered, 'I have to,'

'If you're sure,' Ryan said softly, 'Go ahead,'

Troy squeezed his eyes shut tightly, almost willing the rest of the world to go away. He could do this. Gabriella would be fine in the end. It would be fine. _Everything _would be fine.

With that, he plunged through the doorway. This was it.

He emerged on the other side, into a silent, tiny room. Three rooms led off the tiny room, each revealing the patient within, through a plate glass window. Like guinea pigs in a cage.

Troy shuddered, as he swept over the sleeping form of an old woman and the blank vague gaze of a girl staring straight back at him. Gabriella wouldn't be like that.

His heart twitching frantically, Troy switched his gaze to the window straight ahead.

And there she was.

It was worse that he had every imagined. Her upper body just peeked out above the blankets that kept her locked to the bed. Tubes and cords dangled from every spare inch of skin; performing some function that Troy only prayed would keep her alive. Machine's beeped steadily, keeping control of her only too weak pulse and vital signs, teasing and taunting Troy mercilessly.

And then there was her face. Still that terrifying shade of white, her crimson lips and cheeks drained of all their colour, she lay completely motionless. Scratches, red and angry littered her face and bruises, already swelling and darkening were forming under her eyes.

She looked…she looked dead.

Sharpay sobbed quietly beside him and Kelsi's lip was quivering. By Troy couldn't tear his eyes away from her. All he could see was her, broken and dying, so close, but not close enough to touch.

And then there was some one else. Standing so close to her. Blood-stained and battered, looking old and haggard, faded as a reflection in the glass window. Troy shifted, horror welling in his chest as the man shifted too. It was him.

Suddenly the walls felt so much closer, and Troy's breath hitched as his chest constricted. Air…he needed air…

He gasped, choking, his body shaking violently. What was happening?

Weak and powerless, Troy pressed his hand up against the glass window, barely able to support himself any more. His body still wracked with aggressive shudders, and his vision began to dim. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't stand.

Panic began to rise dangerously in his chest, and he gasped for air. He needed… he needed…

'Oh my god! Troy!' a female voice shrieked.

The voice sounded distant, faraway, like the paramedic's voices had in the car. Like he was underwater. Slowly his legs buckled, and he knew what came next. The ground. The cold, hard linoleum floor beneath him.

The black continued to creep over his vision, obscuring everything he knew until there was nothing left at all.

* * *

'Well Mr Bolton. Glad you finally joined us again,'

When Troy's eyes fluttered open again he was greeted with sterile, unforgiving white. He groaned loudly, moving instinctually to cover his burning eyes with his hands.

'God, what is that?' he moaned, wincing.

Somewhere above his head the shuffling of feet was heard and the white dimmed. Troy removed the hand from his eyes and the face of the mousy nurse from before appeared in his vision.

'Mr Bolton, how are you feeling?'

Troy was suddenly away of the dull throbbing that came from all over. His head pounded and his shoulder ached.

'Sore,' he croaked.

'Hmmm…' the nurse hummed, 'I thought so. The adrenaline from the crash must be wearing off now. Allow me to help you sit up,'

The nurse's hands were suddenly at his waist, easing him into a hesitant sitting position. As he became upright, blood rushed to his head and he fought they urge to collapse again.

'Just take some deep breaths,' the nurse advised, fluttering over to the other corner of the room, busying herself with something, 'Ride it out. It'll feel better soon,'

Troy sucked air in heavily, willing his brain which was racketing against his skull to stop.

'Drink,' the nurse ordered, bringing a paper cup up to his lips, 'It'll help,'

Warily and feeling vaguely self-conscious, Troy allowed the young woman to tip the cup. The cool flowing liquid was heaven on his dry, cracked lips. The tiniest sip, flooded his mouth and his tongue no longer felt like sandpaper.

He sighed thankfully. Liquid gold.

But before he could greedily slurp the rest up, the cup was gone. The door opened again and two adolescent looking people walked in gossiping.

'These are your doctors,' the nurse introduced, 'They'll be helping with some of your injuries today,'

Troy nodded weakly, still searching for the cup of water. He wanted that back.

'Hi,' a bubbly brunette said, swinging herself into a stool beside the bed, 'My name's Dr Carlson, but you can call me Melody.'

'Uh…' Troy stammered, 'That's…nice,'

Melody glanced down at the clipboard in her hand, 'Ok…let's take a look at your leg,'

The doctor's hands flew to leg and Troy flinched. It was definitely sore. Gently, she eased up the stained denim, exposing his muscled calf.

'Ouch,' the male doctor remarked, twisting his head to observe Troy's injuries.

Melody tutted disapprovingly, 'He's over-reacting. There are a few minor abrasions and cuts here. Nothing some Betadine, bandages and a few painkillers can't fix,'

Troy winced, glancing down warily at his leg. Angry red welts were forming on his skin, where he had been dragged across the road. Where the skin had broken blood was seeping slowly and ugly purplish bruises were beginning to form. One long, jagged scratch embellished his leg, starting at his anklebone and ending mid-calf.

'Good news though dude,' the male doctor interjected, 'You've got the summer and you're leg will be golden by the time you go back to play. No serious damage,'

'Yeah…' Troy nodded vaguely, 'Great news…'

Both doctors began work on his leg, and Troy leant back his mind a million miles away. He hadn't even been worried about work…

* * *

'This is too much,' Sharpay murmured, 'Too much. Too much,'

'Shar…stop pacing,' Ryan advised gently, 'You have to stop pacing. It won't help Gabriella.'

They were gathered back in the waiting room where they had been ushered after they had bundled Troy's unconscious form onto a gurney.

For the first half hour they had attempted to keep up a normal pretence, like life hadn't changed as they knew it. Sharpay flipped through the pages of Vogue, Kelsi bopped her head in time to the music blaring through her headphones, Taylor recited political terms under her breath. They did what they knew, because some part of them believed that if they just kept reading or singing or talking then Gabriella would be fine and Troy wouldn't be a part of their lives. Things would be okay.

But that idea soon died. Sharpay reached the last page of Vogue, Kelsi's I-pod battery wore low and Taylor began repeating herself. So they stopped. Taylor and Chad curled up in the corner of the room, their hands tightly entwined. To an outside the pose was intimate but to anyone who knew them, like their surrounding friends, noticed the subtle way Taylor leant away from her fiancé, her shoulder's stiff and unwilling, almost throwing his hands off. Taylor stared at the fading informational posters about pregnancy and Chad ground his teeth. His hand, not claimed by Taylor, flexed constantly and a muscle in his jaw was beginning to pulse. He couldn't deny that he cared.

Kelsi rapped hyperactive, jerky rhythms on her husband's knee and Sharpay…paced.

'Stop pacing!' she shrieked, 'How can I stop pacing! Gabriella is sick and…'

She trailed off awkwardly and they all exchanged similar glances. Troy. It was all coming back to him. The reason they were there. A reason that they thought had long left their lives.

Suddenly all the questions that Troy had left hanging when he walked out of his apartment five years ago were coming back. That gap that had always been in their group since his departure was becoming more obvious and the yawning chasm between the lives they used to lead and the ones they did now were suddenly confronting them. None of them knew what to say to him. None of them even knew why he was with Gabriella. What was he thinking? What was he feeling? Was he okay?

And there it was. Was he okay? None of them could deny the shock and terror that rippled through them all as the former valiant golden boy toppled to the ground, gasping for air. And they had heard nothing since. No news on either Gabriella or the boy they tried not to care about.

They all knew how the story went. Troy left _them. _He was the enemy. He removed himself from their lives leaving a shattered ex-fiancé and a broken, confused group. He changed their lives. But at one point in time, a long time ago, he had been their friend. They had cared for him and now, whilst he lay in a hospital bed, they were supposed to feign indifference.

'Hey. Shar…' Zeke interrupted softly, patting the seat beside him, 'Just sit down. All this worrying won't help anyone,'

Warily Sharpay glanced at the other man, willing her to calm down. Ryan knew his sister well enough to know she was fighting rising panic. Her entire world had been tipped upside down and she didn't know how to handle it. This wasn't something she hadn't thought would ever happen to her. But the again…who did?

'Come on Shar,' Zeke coaxed, extending his hands.

Hesitantly Sharpay stumbled toward Zeke, grasping his hands as soon as she came into reach. Almost childishly she allowed herself to be guided into the plastic seat, and to be comforted by Zeke.

'Gabi will be fine,' Zeke said confidently, before looking up and glancing around the rest of the room, 'And so will Troy,'

'Mr Bolton? Are you sure you want to leave?' a thin, high voice rang through the waiting room.

They all looked up to see Troy limping gruffly from a door across the room. A pair of crutches were tucked underneath his armpits and he was hobbling as fast as he could away from the doctor.

'Mr Bolton. You should stay off that leg!' the doctor cried.

'I will stay off it,' Troy protested, still crossing the room, 'In the waiting room,'

'But Mr Bolton…'

'I need to be out here,' Troy said firmly, almost reaching the gathered group, 'I _need _to be out here,'

'Mr Bolton…'

'No.'

Troy's sentence was said with such conviction and finality that even the nasally doctor had no more will to fight. She watched Troy carefully until he fell into the seat beside Ryan and then shrugged resignedly. She'd done the best she could.

Awkward silence reigned over them all once again as Troy tipped his head back, closing his eyes and letting out an almost inaudible groan. Every single eye in the group fell on Troy, watching him with perverse and unbidden curiosity. They knew they shouldn't be staring but they couldn't stop.

Suddenly Troy's blue eyes flew open again and he twisted his head to look at Ryan. Almost instantaneously he could see a difference. Before when he had first walked in, Troy's eyes had been blank, glassy and vague. But now the barrier was gone, the smoke screen that Troy had been hiding behind. And now all that was left was fear and sadness and guilt.

'Have you heard anymore news yet?' he questioned, his voice still hoarse and rough from the accident.

Suddenly Ryan wanted nothing more than to give him news. He wanted to have something to tell the man that was so clearly concerned with Gabriella. He wanted to help.

'No,' he sighed regretfully, 'Not yet,'

Troy nodded, resignation flickering behind his eyes, 'Thanks,'

With that, he turned his head away from Ryan to stare at the floor. Ryan tore his eyes away from the broken man before him, trying to quell what he was feeling. After all these years, how could he be feeling remorse for Troy Bolton?

The sharp sound of someone clearing their throat startled them all. Ryan looked up to find a middle-aged man standing before them clutching a chart to his chest.

'Are you the friends of Ms Montez?' the man asked, his voice deep and amicable.

Chad automatically took control, 'We are. Yes,'

The man sighed heavily, pulling up a seat, so he sat directly before them. He leant forward, resting his chin on his outstretched palm before he continued again.

'My name is Dr Meyers and I'm the Head of Neurosurgery,' he said softly.

Ryan's blood ran cold before the man could utter another word. Neurosurgery. Neurosurgery.

He didn't know much about medicine and he certainly didn't know much about neurosurgery. But he knew it only meant one thing. Gabriella wasn't okay.

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun. :P! No really, it's not that bad! *ducks from flying objects for having a semi-cliffy*. All my exams are over (and I came out unscathed) so I should have the next chapter up pretty soon!**


	7. Waiting and Wishing

**Five? Five reviews? That was the best you could muster up? Come on… I know you can do better than that. There are over fifty people who have this story on alert!**

* * *

'Ms Montez has what is called a subdural haematoma,' the doctor explained gently to the group before him.

He was met with stony, blank silence. All around him, concerned faces creased with confusion.

Finally Chad broke the silence, shaking his head furtively.

'What does that mean?'

'It means that blood has gathered in the inner meningeal layer of the dura causing intracranial pressure,' the doctor replied seriously.

The rest of the group exchanged confused looks and Taylor sighed heavily, rolling her eyes at the doctor, 'It means her brain is bleeding,'

A silent, unsaid fear rippled through them all and Kelsi gave an involuntary gasp. When Chad continued again, even he couldn't hide the tremble in his voice.

'W-what are you going to do?'

The doctor leant forward again, surveying the group, 'We'll perform an emergency craniotomy and remove the clot.'

'Remove the clot? So that'll be it and…and she'll be fine?' Sharpay piped up, her voice high and nervous, 'She'll wake up and we'll have our Gabi back?'

The doctor sighed, raking a hand over his weary face, 'As with all surgeries there are large risks that we as surgeons can not foresee…'

'Cut the rehearsed "you know the risks" crap ok?' Taylor snapped, 'Give it to us straight. Are you going to save our friend or not?'

Ryan suddenly saw the doctor in a new light as he heaved another sigh. The creases that adorned the edges of his eyes, the tight, turned down lips, the tired and world weary eyes. He was a man who tried and tried again to save lives. He was a man that Ryan knew, often couldn't.

'With a condition like Ms Montez's the surgery is very risky. Much of the brain is still unknown to us, her speech and fine motor system may be affected. She could lose part of her personality. Sometimes these things happen…and we can't say why. Sometimes patients come through perfectly fine. We can never know until they wake up,'

Ryan felt a small hand reaching for his and instinctually locking their fingers. He looked down to see his wife staring intently at the doctor, eyes glistening, squeezing his hand tightly. Comfortingly, he dragged the pad of his thumb across the top of her hand, trying to soothe them both. She had to be okay. She had to be okay.

'Ms Montez is being prepped for surgery now,' Dr Meyer's informed them, getting to his feet, already beginning to retreat, 'I will send an intern out with updates as often as I can.'

Kelsi shook beside him and Ryan quickly interjected, 'Is there anything we can do in the mean time?'

The doctor froze, looking back over his shoulder. He offered a sad smile, shrugging.

'Pray.'

And with that he disappeared.

As soon as the doctor was gone Sharpay let out a silent, shuddery sob. Immediately she clasped her hands over her mouth, trying to quell the noise. Chad leant over and patted her knee in a gruff, rare form of affection.

'Gabriella's going to be ok,' Chad said, attempting a brave tone, despite his quavering tone, 'She's got to be okay.'

If only they believed that.

Troy rapped his fingers against his leg uncomfortably. His shoulder throbbed persistently, always niggling in the back of his mind. The doctors assured him that his shoulder was merely sprained and that he had nothing to worry about. But they lied.

Gabriella was in surgery. Brain surgery.

The girl whose brain was such an integral part of who she was now lying on a table, exposing that brain to the world.

His stomach turned at the mere thought. At this moment she was exposed and vulnerable and there was nothing he could do about it.

What if he never saw her again? What if that broken figure, marred with tubes and wires was his final, lasting image of her?

Troy stiffened, his jaw clenching automatically. And her hair. The long, trademark curtain of curls that had always cascaded down her back would be gone. In that very moment, as he considered it, he knew in an OR beyond his reach that doctor was slicing them off haphazardly, shaving little pieces of something Gabriella had treasured. Part of him was comforted by the fact that she would understand. She was smart enough to know that surgery was necessary and would not hesitate to shed the curls in order to save her own life. But…he also knew how many hours he had spent, entangling his fingers in her hair, burying his nose in those luxurious layers. He didn't want to be the one to tell her that she had lost those curls.

It seemed that the world that Troy had known had changed in less that 48 hours. Two days ago he, Troy Bolton, Lakers star and Hollywood heartthrob had stepped off a plane in his hometown Albuquerque. The Troy Bolton of 2 days ago was single and only bore the scars on his heart to show for his previous relationship. That Troy Bolton was complicated, but on a superficial level; he was okay. His life was fine.

And now…

Now he sat in a hospital, the broken, weary, useless Troy Bolton. The Troy Bolton who was coming close to the only thing that had every made him feel like himself. This Troy Bolton was on the verge of losing everything.

It seemed everything had changed so much since he stepped off that plane. Everything had been changing for the worse.

When were things going to start changing for the better?

* * *

Time had never seemed to move so slow. For the four hours that Gabriella had been in surgery Troy had not torn his eyes off the clock. Every second that passed was another second that Gabriella danced dangerously on the line between life and death. Every second that passed was another second that Gabriella wasn't safe. He needed to be sure he was aware of every single second.

'When will there be news!' Sharpay stressed, causing Troy to look in her direction, 'They said there'd be news,'

'Maybe…maybe they don't have anything to tell us yet,' Zeke reasoned uneasily, as if he didn't believe his own words.

Sharpay stopped her pacing, as if seriously debating whether or not to calm down. She bit her lip, before her eyes lit up with another deranged thought.

'If they don't have anything to tell us…what does that mean? That only means bad things. If everything was going well then surely they'd _want _to tell us. It can only be going bad if they're not talking to us,'

Even the pacifist in Zeke was quieted by Sharpay's surprisingly coherent argument. He sighed, shaking his head resignedly. He had no answer. Instead he patted his knee, opening him arms to the panicky girl. Sharpay hovered uneasily on the spot, eyeing him before trotting to him. She perched on the edge of his lap uncomfortably, tugging on a lock of hair. She fidgeted in his lap, still chewing on her bottom lip.

Zeke wrapped his arms around the tiny frame of the girl, pulling her in closer to him.

'We just have to listen to the doctor Shar. We have to sit here and pray for Gabi. We have to trust the doctor enough to know that he will save our friend.'

Sharpay nodded her head, 'Ok.'

Chad lifted his head from his silent reverie, 'Zeke's right. We just gotta hope for Gabi. We gotta believe that she'll be alright.'

As he said this, Chad swept the group with a serious glance. He swept over Zeke and Sharpay curled together. He skipped over to Kelsi and her husband beside her. He squeezed his fiancés hand and then…

He stopped on Troy.

His eyes, dark and filled with so much hidden meaning froze on Troy. Troy's stomach pulled uncomfortably at the depth in the man's eyes. They brimmed with so many things that Troy didn't understand.

Troy opened his mouth his mouth, words burbling forth. There were so many things he could say to him.

'Are you the friends of Ms Montez?'

Troy was suddenly ripped away, and brought back to reality. The words and thoughtful phrases vanished. Bad things were happening. Now was not the time.

He looked up to find Melody, clad in a blue billowing surgical gown. Her dark hair was now covered by a pink flowery surgical cap and her dark eyes were weary and sad.

'Yes. We are,' Chad said confidently, assuming his leader role again.

The young doctor nodded, taking a deep breath, 'Ms Montez's surgery is going as well as can be expected.'

'What does that mean?' Taylor cried.

'There have been a few moments where…' the girl continued, her voice shaking momentarily, 'But so far her surgery is going well.'

'How long until she will be done?' Chad questioned, 'When do you think we'll know more?'

'We can't be sure when the surgery will be done. Things can happen sometimes that we can't predict. We will try to keep you posted as often as possible…'

The girl shifted uncomfortably on her sneaker-clad feet, surveying the group, 'I'm going to go back…'

Chad nodded, 'Please go.'

As the girl jogged away, they all lapsed into another silence. Another sharp reminder that no amount of praying, hoping and well-wishing would keep Gabriella safe. It was out of their hands now.

When Chad looked at his watch again it was 6am. He was sure, somewhere beyond the sterile white walls of this prison, the sun was beginning to rise, dusting the city of Albuquerque in it's warm glows. People all around the city were waking up happy, ready to start another summer's day lounging by the pool, drinking fruity cocktails. People were getting up, getting ready for work. People were leading their lives like they had done the day before because to them nothing had changed. They continued on while Chad's world stopped. He glanced over at his fiance still seated beside him. Taylor's eyes were vague and glassy and it made his stomach turn. He hadn't seen that look on her face since…

Since Troy. Since the day Gabriella's mother called frantically asking for her daughter's whereabouts. Since the day they both leapt on a plane, knocking on her apartment door for an hour. Since they found her lying broken on the bathroom floor, curled in a protective ball, silent tears streaming down her face. That day Taylor had shut down only extending her world far enough to encompass her best friend, whom she rocked back and forth, stroking her hair. She shut Chad out completely and focused solely on Gabriella. At the time Chad had not resented Gabriella, but chose to pour his outlet anger into hating the man who had made it that way. Eventually Gabriella glued herself back together, disappearing briefly on a trip she never explained to them. When she came back she announced her intention to finish her last two years at Stanford but not go onto their law school.

Distraught at the thought of Gabriella throwing her life away Taylor begged her best friend to come back to New York to study law under her watchful eye. Eventually Gabriella lost and Chad devoted three months of his life to making Gabriella a home in their city.

And then it seemed everything was okay. Gabriella popped by from time to time, Gabriella continued law school, Gabriella had boyfriends. And Chad was able to propose to Taylor.

But now that same blank, haunting look was back in her eyes and Chad found more irrational burning in his stomach. And he only had one outlet in which to let it out.

He clenched his fist viciously. It always seemed to come down to Troy. It was his fault last time…

If he lost Taylor because of this he would…

Chad looked over at Troy and his anger deflated. The man sat slumped in his chair, morosely staring at the nurse's station. A pair of crutches lay discarded on the floor and the stark white of bandages was barely visible about the neck of his rumpled and stained shirt, wrapped tightly around his shoulder.

Chad frowned. He knew what injuries meant to a basketball player. Would Troy be able to play in the new season? Would he be able to play at all?

And suddenly he was torn. That man, broken and pathetic, held Chad's entire world in his hands. He stomped through their lives and destroyed everything they had built up without him.

But how could he be angry when Troy himself was close to losing so much?

* * *

'So…what's up man?'

Troy looked up from his contemplation of the floor at the sound of Ryan's voice. The shorter man was seated beside him, propped up against the wall, surveying him genially.

'Uh…' Troy paused, glancing around for one of Ryan's friends standing behind him.

He was definitely speaking to him.

'Not…much?'

Ryan sighed heavily, 'No, I mean, how are you feeling? What did the doctor say about you?'

Troy frowned. He wasn't going to lie; he was confused. He was under the impression that he inhabited Wildcat enemy territory. He was sure that he was on the blacklist.

But if he was on the black list, then why was Ryan talking to him?

'It's just a sprain,' Troy explained slowly, gesturing to his shoulder with his spare arm, 'And my ankle is a bit bruised…and there's some scratches on my leg. But I'm fine.'

'What about basketball? It is going to affect you?'

Troy frowned again. He hadn't even considered basketball. Why did everyone assume he even cared about basketball? Didn't they realize Gabriella was dying?

'No,' he shook his head, still perplexed by Ryan Evan's sudden interest in basketball, 'They said I should be able to play for the new season but…they haven't met my coach. He's going to kill me when he catches wind of this.'

Ryan glanced over his shoulder where Chad and Taylor were getting coffee from a vending machine. He bit his lip and turned back to Troy thoughtfully, 'So how are you now?'

'What do you mean?'

'How are you coping?' the other man shot back, lowering his voice, 'Are you okay?'

Troy's stomach squirmed uncomfortably under Ryan's clear blue glaze. How did he answer that? He and Gabriella weren't even supposed to have seen each other. He and Gabriella hadn't seen each other for years, all emotions were supposed to he died. But still he was sitting here in a waiting room, itching anxiously for news of her waking.

Ryan seemed to understand as he knowingly smiled, pushing himself up from the chair, 'I'm going to go get some coffee. Do you want any?'

Troy shook his head, already preparing to withdraw himself from the group of Wildcats who wanted nothing more than him gone from their lives.

'Ok. Just make sure you have something to eat,' Ryan warned, walking away.

As Ryan disappeared, Troy couldn't help the bubble of confusion that rose up within him. That didn't make sense. Why was Ryan doing this?

* * *

As Ryan walked away he felt the oddest sensation in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure why had started a conversation with Troy. He wasn't sure when Troy was Wildcat Enemy #1. But he had been constantly aware of the man since he arrived and the misery radiating off him. He had been constantly aware of Troy whether he liked it or not.

As he spoke to him though, he found himself doing something he swore he'd never go again. He had genuinely cared. He had concern for Troy Bolton.

'You were talking to Bolton?' Chad hissed as Ryan drew closer.

Ryan shrugged noncommittally, as he helped himself to a cup of coffee, 'Yeah, it's no big deal right?'

'Dude…,' Chad blustered, busying himself with his own cup of coffee, 'He's the enemy. Don't you remember…'

Ryan rolled his eyes, 'Of course I remember Chad! How could I forget that! The look Gabriella had on her face is one that none of us are forgetting any time soon,'

* * *

'Why do you think he's even here?' Kelsi whispered, glancing over her shoulder at Troy, slumped alone in the seats behind them.

'What was she thinking! I thought she never wanted to see him again!' Taylor cried quietly, thrusting her hands into the air.

'I thought she was over that stage in her life! I thought that she had had other boyfriends and we'd never need to think about him!'

'I thought _we'd _never see him again!'

Taylor and Kelsi stopped their speculation suddenly, their eyes landing on Sharpay who was jiggling up and down on the spot, deliberately avoiding their gaze.

'You've been suspiciously silent Sharpay,' Taylor remarked.

'Yeah, that's not like you at all,'

'You've always been the first to hurl abuse about Troy. Why aren't you helping us? Unless you know something?'

Sharpay sputtered indignantly, 'I do _not _know anything. I'm a high school drama teacher! What would I know about Troy Bolton!'

'Gabi went shopping for date clothes…I was in the change room a lot…' Taylor mused thoughtfully, piecing everything together in her mind, 'You kept giving me dresses even if I'd never ever wear them…'

Suddenly she clapped her hands over her mouth, 'Oh god! You _knew_! You knew she was going to meet Troy last night!'

'Why wouldn't you tell us? Why didn't _she _tell us?' Kelsi questioned, obviously hurt.

Sharpay sighed heavily, her eyes flickering between her two friends before clearly resigning, 'Look. I don't think she was going to tell anyone. I think she was just going to meet him and see what happened. I sort of weaselled it out of her…'

'Then why didn't you discourage her?' Taylor admonished.

Sharpay's eyes softened, 'She said that she was just meeting him as a friend. That they'd been good friends for so long and that…they were mature adults now. You guys are forgetting how long they were together!'

'And _you _are forgetting how he BROKE HER HEART!'

Taylor shrieked the last few words causing Troy's head to lift marginally and he surveyed them with slight interest.

'Taylor!' Kelsi hissed, 'Sssshhh… Gabi's a smart girl. I'm sure she knew what she was doing,'

Taylor shook her head, 'It would have been so much easier if she was around to explain it.'

'Guys! Guys!' Ryan suddenly exclaimed as he jogged back the seats, 'Come over here!'

Reluctantly the girls disbanded their conversation and joined the men in their seats again.

'What's the point of this Ryan?' Sharpay asked sharply.

'Look,'

The girls followed the direction of Ryan's head. Dr Meyers was standing by the nurses station. His back was to them all as he filled out paperwork, which rendered them unable to read his expression.

'Oh god,' Sharpay whispered, squeezing Taylor's hand in a vice grip, 'Oh god, oh god, oh god,'

Suddenly the doctor turned, clutching a clipboard to his chest. His deft fingers lifted to his temples, sweeping his navy surgical cap off his salt-and-pepper hair. His grey eyes were solemn, and the corners of his mouth were turned down with exhaustion.

Sharpay's stomach wrenched. She was a drama teacher; expression was something she taught every day. And that…that there was not an expression which bore good news.

The doctor approached them, a deep breath heaving his chest. He nodded sadly, dropping his eyes shut before he stopped in front of them and opened his eyes again.

It took all that Sharpay had not to scream out at him. _GET IT OVER WITH ALREADY!_

'We've finished the surgery,' the doctor announced gravely.

Chad shifted in his seat impatiently, unable to bite back his discomfort, 'And?'

'And,' the doctor sighed, 'I have good news and bad news…'

* * *

**Ok, I have some bad news (well, it's good news for me). This time tomorrow I'll be on a plane to Paris (yay!) and I'll be there for about two weeks. Which means…no updates for two weeks.  
But...on the other hand, the chapters coming up are amazing. They've already been written and I cannot wait to share them with you all! Also, it's over 21 hours to Paris so I'll have plently of writing time lol!  
Please review, I do appreciate it so, so much.**


	8. Clinging To You

**Bonjour! I return from The City of Lights, bearing a brand new chapter (amongst a number of dodgy touristy souvenirs, hehe). Your response to the last chapter was overwhelming, thank you so much. I loved every single one of your reviews!**

* * *

'You have good news and bad news?' Chad echoed, 'What does that even mean?'

The doctor sighed heavily, 'It means that Ms Montez's surgery is finished and it was successful. We managed to stop the bleeding and heal the site where it started,'

The group energy was tangible as the excitement swelled, setting off a cacophony of noise, the same sentiment echoing through all their minds. _She would be fine. She would be fine._

'Wait there's bad news!' Taylor broke in, effectively destroying the excitement. They all fell silent, throwing wary glances at the doctor before them.

'But, there were some issues with the surgery,' the doctor admitted slowly, 'The damage was worse that we had originally anticipated and she has lost a lot of blood.'

'But she'll be okay right?' Ryan questioned, 'There'll be no brain damage or anything…right?'

'Yeah!' Zeke interjected, 'She can't have brain damage!'

'She's a lawyer!' Kelsi said tearfully.

The doctor blinked owlishly at them, obviously confused at the jumble of people and voices all talking at him.

'We can't guarantee anything,' he said flatly, 'We won't know until she wakes up,'

Silence reigned as the doctor paused and his unsaid words settled over them. _If she wakes up._

'How long will it be _until _she wakes up?' Chad said.

'72 hours. 72 hours is the standard time frame for a patient's recovery. I know this is hard to hear but…if they haven't woken up within that time then…'

'They probably never will,' Troy murmured, completing the grave sentence darkly.

Chad swore under his breath and Ryan shook his head. Losing Gabi was something neither men, nor the rest of their group were prepared to consider.

'What can we do until she wakes up?' Kelsi asked.

'In a matter of hours you will be allowed to go in and see her. One at a time, mind you. She's still in a very, very critical state,'

The group nodded solemnly and the doctor made to move away, 'I'll send Melody as soon as you can see her,'

'Thank you sir,' Kelsi sighed.

With that the doctor jogged away and the group were left in stunned, overwhelmed silence.

'It's seven am,' Chad murmured, breaking the reverie as he checked his watch, 'I should call Anne. And we should all look at getting some breakfast.'

Breakfast. Troy hadn't even considered eating and he was even sure that if he tried he would be able to swallow anything.

Chad moved away from the group punching Anne Montez's number into his phone and the rest of the group lapsed into silence.

'I think he's right,' Zeke announced airily, attempting to sound unaffected, standing up and offering a hand to Sharpay, 'We should all go get some breakfast. There's no good in us sitting around, wasting away, while we wait for Gabriella,'

Sharpay shook her head, curling up tighter in her seat, 'I'll stay here. Just in case. Can you get me some breakfast though?'

Ryan and Kelsi stood up, 'Someone should probably pack a bag for Gabriella…for when she wakes up,'

Troy remained silent. None of this planning had anything to do with him. They didn't really care what he did, so he had the luxury of staring at the floor.

'Troy? Do you want to come get breakfast with us?'

Troy frowned at Zeke's friendly address. Why was he even bothering?

And then suddenly he was torn. He should probably go. Just for the sake of putting something in his mouth and attempting to make peace with everyone. Bu then…what if the nurse came and let him see Gabriella while they were gone? What if Gabriella had no one to hold her hand?

'Uh…no thanks,' Troy stumbled, 'I'm not hungry.'

Chad suddenly approached the group again, putting his phone back in his jacket pocket, 'Anne's on her way now,' he announced.

He then glanced at his fiancée who was staring down a new nurse behind her desk, willing her to give them information.

'Tay? Do you want some breakfast?' Chad tried gently, 'A cup of coffee? Some bacon?'

'No,' Taylor replied shortly, never removing her eyes from the oblivious nurse across the room who was unassumingly filling out paperwork.

'What about a muffin? We could go grab a muffin from the cart? We'd be gone less than two minutes?'

'No.'

Chad was undeterred, 'How about getting changed? You're still in that cocktail dress…'

Taylor's eyes flickered briefly down to her formally attired body. She then shook her head firmly.

'No.'

Chad sighed resignedly, shaking his head, 'Ok. You stay here and wait for the nurse while I go get breakfast. Text us if you get any news ok?'

Taylor nodded for the first time, 'Ok. I will,'

With that affirmation the individual teams moved off to seek their goals leaving Troy, Sharpay and Taylor in a thick, shroud of silence.

Sharpay gnawed on her plump bottom lip, rapping her manicured nails on her sweat pant clad knee, her hazel eyes searching around the ceiling.

It was a perverse sort of amusement that Troy felt welling up within him. Sharpay Evans no matter what age or stage in her life she was in was _never _seen in sweats. He was sure that apart from Ryan and the girls, no one in the outside world had ever seen her in sweats. Her once cascading, bleached hair was now cropped into a glossy, ashy blonde bob, kept back from her face in a ponytail, only allowing a few rogue tendrils of hair to fall across her face. There she was, natural, bare and completely vulnerable, exposed to the world. That wasn't the Sharpay Evans he remembered.

The last time he had seen Sharpay was a few months before he and Gabriella split. He had played a game in Albuquerque with the Bears and caught up with her and Chad in a break between their classes. That girl had been clad from head to toe in a pink flamboyant outfit, complete with accessories, full face of makeup and pouted glossy lips.

The girl who sat before him seemed a million miles away from the girl he remembered and it struck him with a sudden sadness. Despite their rough beginning, he had spent so long including _that _girl in his "family" classification. But now he couldn't. She was no longer his family and he was no longer hers.

Taylor abruptly got up from her seat to his right and clicked over to the nurse's station, scowl firmly in place.

Troy watched her briefly before turning his eyes back to Sharpay. He was surprised to find her staring directly at him. She heaved a dramatic sigh her eyes flickering to Taylor who was tapping her foot while she waited for the nurse's attention.

'Troy, you need breakfast!' she informed him.

'Uh…no…' he shook his head, 'I'll get something later.'

'You were in a car crash asshole_,_' Sharpay said matter-of-factly, pursing her lips, 'A _car crash._ Have you even had anything to drink since the paramedics got you?'

'I…I had a little water before… after I passed out,' Troy grappled, certain not to be beat out by the drama queen.

'Oh yippee,' she said sarcastically, 'A sip of water as opposed to a real breakfast. Fat lot of good you're going to do Gabi when she wakes up if you're _dead._'

'I won't be dead Sharpay,' Troy replied sharply, 'I'm fine.'

'Whatever,'

He couldn't help the vague smile that grew as she rolled her eyes at him. They had spent so many of their years together in mild arguments that always began with her attacking him and ended with her rolling her eyes and dramatically sighing, '_Whatever,'_

'Why are you even speaking to me?' Troy questioned, leaning closer to her, his voice dropping to a murmur.

Sharpay arched her perfectly shaped eyebrows, 'Do you want me to stop? It would make my life _so _much easier. So if you want…'

'No, no…it's just…has really talked to me, so I'm just…surprised. And you're usually the one most readily prepared to insult me,'

Sharpay looked over again to the nurse's station where a group of nurses where arguing over who had to go deal with Taylor and then back to Troy. She bit her lip again and smiled sadly.

'Look, I encouraged Gabi to go see you. I was the only one who knew about it and I didn't try and stop her. Hell! I _drove _her to you! I took her to the bar, so I have no right to abuse you right now.'

'Oh…' Troy said, dumbfounded. That made sense.

The nurse who drew the short straw approached Taylor hesitantly, shaking like a leaf, become paler and paler with each murderous glare Taylor threw at her.

'So, no. I'm not going to yell at you. Instead we're going to have a civil conversation. Capiche?'

Troy nodded silently.

'So how have you been Troy Bolton? I mean since you unceremoniously dumped my friend without warning and instead became a household name?'

'Thanks Shar,' Troy nodded, wincing at the blatant slap in the face, 'I appreciate that. You managing to point out all my flaws in one sentence.'

'All your flaws?' Sharpay scoffed, 'Puh-lease. If I listed all of your flaws I'd need to write a novel thicker than Breaking Dawn,'

'Breaking Dawn? So you actually _can _read?' Troy shot back, surprising even himself how comfortably he was bantering with Sharpay and how much he was enjoying it.

'Shut up Bolton! I was asking you how you were! And now you're being an ass,' she said, primly nodding her head to punctuate her sentence.

Troy sighed, 'How have I been? Uh, well…I've played basketball for…five years now. Non-stop. I've been hounded by paparazzi and rabid fans… that's pretty much my whole existence,'

Sharpay sighed dreamily, 'That's the life,'

Troy frowned, nudging her gently, 'You'd think so. Weren't you supposed to be the next superstar of the world? The self-proclaimed Queen of Hollywood? I'm surprised you're not in La-La Land with me,'

Her challenging grin faded slightly and her eyes softened sadly, 'Yeah well…dreams change. And if creating the _new _self-proclaimed Queens of Hollywood is what I do then…I'm okay with that,'

'Really?'

Sharpay shrugged offhandedly, her eyes still filled with distant melancholy, 'Yeah, sure. People change; you of all people should know that. I'm happy where I am,'

'Good,' Troy nodded, 'I'm glad. But you should hate me. I…I didn't do anything to earn your respect,'

'WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!'

Both looked over to the nurse's station where Taylor was blatantly abusing the shaking nurse, shouting and throwing her fists around in the air. Sharpay rolled her eyes, 'I'll go get her,'

With that Sharpay jumped up and scurried across the waiting room, latching onto Taylor's madly swinging arms. Heaving with all of her weight, Sharpay dragged an unwilling Taylor back to the bay of chairs.

As Taylor sat back down she grumbled, cursing under her breath at the pale nurse who was now being crowded around by her colleagues.

Sharpay flopped back down into her seat, making a show of groaning at Troy. When Taylor had averted her eyes, Sharpay leant over and murmured to him, 'I don't hate you ok. I don't think anyone does,'

'Except Chad,'

Sharpay offered him a tight, small smile, 'Well…you don't know what you did to Gabi. And you don't know how close he came to losing Taylor because of it. But he doesn't hate you,'

Troy shook his head, 'Yeah that'll be the day,'

The sound of shoes scuffing on the linoleum floor brought the gathered groups attention. Melody, the doctor who had bandaged Troy stood before them, clutching a clear plastic bag. Troy's heart plummeted into his stomach as he considered the contents on display. That purse, that phone, that watch.

'Uh,' the girl said quietly, 'These are Ms Montez's personal effects,'

* * *

'I can't believe it…' Kelsi sighed as her husband drove toward the Montez residence, 'Troy. _Troy! _After all this time and he's here!'

Ryan shook his head disbelieving, 'I didn't believe my own eyes when I saw him there in the waiting room. It had just been so long and we'd all sort of accepted we'd never see him again right?'

'Oh god,' she moaned, 'Did you see the look on Chad's face? He looked like he was about to crumble. Like he was torn between punching him and bursting into tears. I've never seen him look like that before,'

'Well I don't blame him. Troy was his _best _friend and he just…disappeared.'

'But did you see Troy? He looked…broken. He just looked empty and vacant like he had nothing left in him to breathe let alone fight,'

Ryan pulled into the Anne Montez's driveway, parking their rental car. They both leapt out and walked up to the front door. Before they had even knocked Anne Montez threw the door open, tear stained and red-eyed.

'Mi hija!' she wailed as she allowed the couple to walk through the door, 'My poor, poor baby!'

'We're still waiting for Taylor to tell us any more news,' Ryan explained gently, wrapping an arm around Gabriella's sobbing mother, while Kelsi dashed up the stairs to begin packing, 'But as soon as we've packed Gabi a bag, we'll take you straight to the hospital,'

Carefully Ryan led Anne to her own couch, easing her down onto it. He placed a box of Kleenex before her and squeezed her hand gently, 'We'll do this as fast as we can!'

He released the older woman and then bounded up the stairs, following his wife's path.

He found Kelsi in Anne's guest room ripping through Gabriella's oversized suitcase. Ryan knelt down by his wife, carefully sifting through a mountain of blouses and skirts.

'We need something comfortable for her. Something she won't feel restricted in,' he told her, 'I think she's still going to be in a lot of pain,'

'Did she pack _any _t-shirts?' Kelsi cried, throwing another two pencil skirts over her shoulder, 'She was only here for a freaking fortnight! Did she bring her whole wardrobe?'

'Maybe Sharpay rubbed off on her more than we thought she did,' Ryan joked weakly.

Kelsi let out a relieved squawk as she unearthed a handful of t-shirts and sweatpants. She shoved them into Ryan's arm who in turn placed them into the overnight bag.

'OK…now we need to get her a book, her I-pod, and we need her toothbrush and stuff,'

Ryan followed Kelsi obediently around the barely touched room. It seemed Gabriella hadn't slept much the night before as the bed was still made, only rumpled slightly in the middle where she had obviously sat. Her I-pod sat neatly on top of a well-loved and earmarked novel and Kelsi quickly swept them up, tossing them in after the clothes.

Her laptop hummed away to itself on the desk, waiting for its owner to return to it, a moving image of the stars on the screen. Ryan quickly leant over and awoke the laptop, making an image of Gabriella leaning into Sharpay, Kelsi and Taylor, all blowing kisses at the camera appear in its place. Ryan smiled forlornly and eased the laptops lid down until it clicked shut. Who knew when its owner was coming home…

While Ryan had busied himself with the computer Kelsi had been buzzing about the room, throwing things into the bag. She stopped in front of him, breathless.

'Ok, we just need toiletries now,'

Ryan nodded and tailed after her into the adjoining guest bathroom. Immediately Kelsi began to burrow through Gabriella's toiletries bag.

'Ok toothbrush, toothpaste, body butter,' Kelsi checked off as she threw each item in, 'Hairbrush…'

Kelsi's voice caught on the last word and she trailed off into silence. When she turned to face her husband her eyes were welled with crystalline tears and her lip was quivering.

Her hand clasped her mouth quickly and she shook her head, 'Oh god Ry. Oh…'

Ryan cursed softly under his breath, raking a hand through his hair. The shock left him winded. What an unexpected thought. A blatant, painful reminder.

'Uh…take the hairbrush out,' Ryan murmured, 'I think we're done anyway,'

Kelsi nodded silently, still fighting the onslaught of tears. He zipped up the overnight bag and slung it over his shoulder, exiting the guest room. As the dismounted the stairs Kelsi reached for his hand and he squeezed it tightly. They clung to each other tightly; thankful for what little familiar things they had left. There was no denying, life as they knew it had changed.

* * *

'And I'll have the waffles with maple syrup, a bottle of orange juice and a box of Lucky Charms – no milk,' Zeke completed his order, obviously satisfied.

'You are _so _whipped dude,' Chad rolled his eyes, 'It's been years since you went to prom and you _still_ remember what she likes to eat for breakfast,'

'E-everyone likes Lucky Charms,' Zeke spluttered, reddening, 'It's not rocket science!'

'Why don't you just tell her you're madly in love with her and you want to have her babies?' Chad sighed, leaning against the counter, 'Frankly it would make life so much easier for me,'

'How?' Zeke demanded, 'How would it make it easier for you?'

'Well, if Sharpay had a husband and preferably an army of children then she would be less likely to _drop by_ in Manhattan when it's Spring Break for her. Then Taylor and I wouldn't be interrupted frequently when it comes to sex. See, you have more sex and therefore _I _have more sex,'

Chad grinned his usual wolfish grin but Zeke was perturbed to find that something wasn't right. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes and instead the dark orbs were left lifeless and hollow.

'So, are you okay about Troy being here?' Zeke asked.

Chad's grin faded considerably and he shrugged in his best nonchalant impression, 'Sure. Why the hell wouldn't I be?'

'Because you used to call me for years with detailed plans on how exactly you were going to make him pay. I do remember a particular graphic description of you with a blunt razor blade and…'

'Ok, ok dude!' Chad interrupted, 'Look. I…I don't want to think about it. I _can't _think about it right now. I have to think about Taylor and Gabi. I have to make sure Gabi wakes up in the next 72 hours or I won't be getting married. Ever. Think about this way Zeke… _if _in 72 hours Gabriella hasn't woken up, I'll not only have lost one of my closest friends but I'll have also lost my fiancée, the love of my life. I'll have lost my future, which in turn will destroy my career, which will in turn destroy my security and my home. Because of this, I'll lose what little is left of my family, because I'll alienate you all and at the end of it we'll all wind up alone and miserable. And this is Troy's fault. So if you could understand how _enraged_ I get thinking of Troy and what his fucking thoughtlessness has risked for me, then you would understand why I'm trying not to think about him,'

Zeke nodded, silenced by Chad's clenched fists, tight jaw and murderous eyes.

'Hey man, just keep it cool. Gabriella will be fine. I _know _she will. You just need to believe that and focus on making Taylor feel better. There's nothing you can do for Gabi and nothing you can do about Troy. So just focus on Tay,'

Chad nodded, calming down marginally, his eyes cooling off until he could keep a level stare with Zeke.

'I'm taking your word on this one buddy,'

Suddenly Zeke's cell began to sing and he automatically scooped it up. He checked caller ID and frowned, answering it.

'Shar? Is everything ok?'

Chad strained to listen in on the other half of the conversation and only heard sobs.

'Shar. Shar, you need to calm down. What is it?'

Zeke was quiet while he listened to Sharpay's side of the story and he locked eyes with Chad.

'All her stuff? You've been given all of her stuff and none of you can go through it? Ok…Ok…we'll be up there in a minute,'

Zeke hung up his phone and quickly shoved a few dollars in the cafeteria lady's hand, snatching his tray off her.

'That doctor just gave them a bag full of Gabriella's belongings, her purse, her jacket, her cell…none of them want to go through it. Shar's distraught,'

Chad's forehead immediately creased with concern and he scooped up his own bag of food, bounding out of the cafeteria without another word. Taylor was his first priority.

* * *

Anne Montez had sniffled quietly the whole way to the hospital. As they sped along the highway, as they pulled the car up in the parking lot, as they ran through the lobby, as they rode the elevator.

Nothing Kelsi or Ryan did could calm the distressed mother. No amount of comforting, promising words or hand holding could stop the woman from murmuring in Spanish to herself.

The elevator dinged above their heads, signalling their arrival as the doors slid open. Immediately Anne burst into the waiting room and Kelsi and Ryan hesitantly followed after her.

'Mija!' she cried, searching the room, 'Mi hija!'

They rounded the corner, where they bay of chairs were. They found Troy, Sharpay, Zeke, Taylor and Chad all huddled together, a large plastic Ziploc bag sitting in the centre of the semi-circle.

'What is that…' Kelsi frowned.

'That,' Chad sighed wearily, lifting his eyes to look at them, '_That _is Gabi's stuff,'

'Oh…' Kelsi trailed off, dropping to her knees beside Sharpay to take her place in the circle, 'Oh…'

'Has anyone opened it yet?' Ryan asked.

'I can't,' Taylor said blankly, her voice shaking as she spoke, 'I just…can't.'

Chad wrapped an arm around his fiancée, 'It's okay Tay.'

'It's just too hard,' Sharpay professed quietly, 'I don't know how to look at that stuff…touch it, and know that these may be…'

'Our final connection with her,' Troy finished.

Anne wailed loudly and Ryan, despite the numbed sensation sweeping over him, led her to a seat beside Chad, before falling to the ground beside his wife.

'Someone…someone should open it,' he murmured.

'I will,' Chad said bravely, trying to mask the tremor in his voice, 'I'll open it,'

He reached for the package, his hands running nervously along the zipped seal. He bit his lip and shook his head, trying to gear himself up for it.

'What if this is it? The last of Gabi's things? The last clothes she ever wore, the last purse she ever carried?' Sharpay questioned quietly, musing her own thoughts out loud, 'What if this is it?'

'Don't!' Chad snapped, '_Don't _say that!'

And then he tossed the package back onto the coffee table, amongst the outdated copies of US Weekly, and O Magazine. And so it sat, hovering between them again.

'I'll open it,' Troy said quietly, 'I've…I've already touched it all so…'

All eyes glued to him, Troy reached for the bag in the middle carefully. He wrapped his hand around the bag and brought it to his lap. His fingers slowly separated the seal, painfully, inch by inch, exposing Gabi's belongings to the outside world.

And then it was open. It was done, in the open air. He upended the contents of the bag over the coffee table and then there was silence.

And slowly but surely they all began to reach for something.

Ryan was the first with enough nerve as he reached for her wallet, the light pink leather scratched and grazed by the impact it had suffered. Sharpay reached for the bag of makeup, rooting through the cosmetics that made up part of Gabriella.

She bit back a sob, her trembling hands clutching the bag in front of her, 'It…it smells like her,' she cried, 'It's all just her…'

Taylor and Chad shared the bulging leather day planner, thumbing through it together while tears welled in Taylor's eyes.

Taylor whimpered into her fiancé's shoulder, 'She…she had plans. Life was supposed to go on today and the day after that. And now everything's just…stopped,'

Troy grabbed a hold of her cell phone, the one he had made his desperate 911 call from. Dark, hazed memories flew to the forefront of his mind, filled with a cool, clipped female voice and the blinding lights of the truck. It felt like a year since he had been in that car. It couldn't have been only been the night before.

Carefully, wary of it's dying battery, Troy opened up the contacts book, scrolling through until he got to the very end. _V. _

He found the contact under the name of voicemail and hit the green phone, mentally attempting to brace himself for what he knew what coming next.

'Hi, this is Gabi!' a perky voice announced into the deathly silent waiting room, 'I'm not near the phone right now, I'm probably working or sleeping because law school is my life! Just leave your name and number after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!'

The phone beeped and then fell silent. Troy looked around the stony group before him. Taylor was fighting back tears, Sharpay was shaking silently in Zeke's embrace and Kelsi had her husband's hand in a vice grip. Ryan was pale and wide-eyed like Troy had slapped him into the face and Chad looked absolutely floored, rendered unable to move.

He surveyed the group and made his final decision. He hit the green phone button again, fighting the hot tears stinging his eyes.

'Hi, this is Gabi! I'm not near the phone right now…'

Together in their mismatched circle, filled with ex-boyfriends, hysterical mothers, friends and lovers they listened to the voice of the girl they were all willing to wake up. As they did, they all took a little solace in one another. They were all together for a reason. For her.

She had to be okay. There was no other choice.

* * *

_I can't hide the tears 'cause even though you're here  
__It feels like you're a million miles away_

_- Rihanna _

* * *

**I think this is seriously the fastest I've ever written a chapter, which I ironic because four hours prior I wasn't even sure how to start it. You need to understand that I am the biggest perfectionist and most chapters can take me over a **_**week **_**to write, so this is a new record for me! Hopefully you can all see the different story lines beginning to link together: Troy and Gabriella (why he left, what's going to happen to them **_**if**_** she wakes up), Zeke and Sharpay (too close to be "just friends") and Tay and Chad (all that back story with him losing her. Drama is a-coming, I promise you). I've decided I love Ryseli enough not to over-dramatize them. A surprise is ahead with them but nothing that is going to send rabid fans after me with a pitchfork. **

**One more thing, just in case anyone is still reading this (unlikely but still), tell me what you want to hear. I've been curious for a while now, do you guys prefer me to reply to your reviews or would you prefer I just shut up and posted chapters. Let me know!**

**Ok, crazy author talk over! *gets off soapbox*. **


	9. Oh My God

**Previously...**

_Together in their mismatched circle, filled with ex-boyfriends, hysterical mothers, friends and lovers they listened to the voice of the girl they were all willing to wake up. As they did, they all took a little solace in one another. They were all together for a reason. For her.  
She had to be okay. There was no other choice._

* * *

Eventually silence descended on the group. Gabriella's things lay scattered between them and they sat in a circle, waiting. Waiting for the nurse, waiting for news, waiting for Gabriella.  
They just waited, because it was their only choice.  
Kelsi took out her I-pod again removing herself to the world where she belonged. Troy knew that in her where music notes danced before her eyes, twirling and twisting in her mind was where she was most comfortable, untouchable and invincible to danger. Sharpay munched thoughtfully on the food that Zeke had brought her, flipping through outdated copies of US Weekly, black marker in hand, idly drawing moustaches on photos of her brother.  
Anne Montez sat slumped in her chair, blankly staring at the floor. Troy's heart went out to her sympathetically despite the pointed glares and the undeniably nasty things she murmured under her breath about him in Spanish that she offered every few moments.  
Suddenly the shrill beeping of a cell phone shattered the group's self-imposed silence. Anne thrust her hand into her purse, pulling out her cell phone. Her dark eyes, so similar to Gabriella's, swept over the screen, her lip curling up in contempt.

'It's for you,' she growled, thrusting it in Troy's direction.

'Uh…thanks,' Troy replied hesitantly.

It felt good to know he had another person that hated him in this world.

He accepted the cell phone, glancing at the screen.

_Anne, have you seen Troy? He said he was going out last night and he hasn't come home. Lucy's worried – Jack_

Troy groaned. His parents. He had been so preoccupied with Gabriella, her surgery and her coma. His parents hadn't even crossed his mind. Of course they'd be concerned. He stood up, sighing heavily. He should probably call them. He owed them at least that much.

Handing the phone back to Anne on his way through, Troy lumbered awkwardly to the nearby pay-phone bolted to the wall. After hours of sitting in the waiting room his strained muscles, damaged and bruised from the crash screamed out with every inch he shuffled. Why did he turn down the nurse's offer of painkillers?  
He reached the phone punching in his mother's number quickly. It was a familiar scene, one that he had known all through his early years with the Lakers. In foreign towns, still clad in his sweaty uniform, exhilarated from his win but lost with no one to share it with. He would always jog into the lobby while the other guys were showering and call that same number. Over and over again, different pay phones, different towns, but always the same person.  
As he distanced himself from his family, Albuquerque and all they represented Troy called home less and less frequently, relying on his parents to watch the game on TV instead. Who would have ever thought he'd wind up here again, in a strange room, on a payphone, calling his mother?

The phone rang twice before his mother's anxious voice filled the line.

'Hello?'

Troy sighed wearily, leaning into the phone box for support, 'Hi mom, it's me,'

'Oh Troy!' she cried, 'I'm so glad to hear from you! Where are you baby? Are you okay, you sound different!'

'I'm at the hospital mom,' he croaked in reply, 'Gabriella's been in a car accident,'

'Accident!' his mother shrieked, 'Wait…Gabriella…?'

Troy shook his head despite the fact that he knew she wouldn't see it, 'Mom…'

'Baby are you okay?' his mother questioned, her tone still belaying her obvious state of confusion, 'How are you holding up? How did you find out?'

'I was in the car with her,' he confessed quietly.

His mother gasped sharply and murmured to someone on her end. His father's voice rumbled incoherently and she snapped back.

'Troy honey, were you hurt?' she asked.

Troy knew that that question barely scratched the surface on all the answers she craved the answers to. _Why were you with her? What were you doing? Are you getting back together?_

'Uh, no,' he mumbled, 'Just a sprained ankle and some bruises.'

'Will you be coming home soon?'

'No,' Troy answered instantaneously, 'I can't. Gabriella…she…'

His voice cracked painfully on her name and he buried his head against the wall of the plastic booth, raking his hand over his face.

'She's in a coma. She's just come out of brain surgery and we're waiting to go in and see her,'

'Ok honey,' his mother sighed, 'I understand. Your father and I might come up later to visit. Call me whenever anything happens ok?'

Troy nodded against the grimy wall, 'Sure mom,'

'Ok baby. I'll let you get back to your…friends,'

Even Troy didn't miss the hesitation in her voice as she spoke of the extended Wildcat family. Who knew what they were anymore? Was there even such a thing as ex-family?

Troy muttered a hasty goodbye and the line went dead. Troy took a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself. He was tired, everything ached, most of his old friends hated him and Gabriella may as well have been dying. Surely something had to go right in his life…

'If you wish, you may go in and see Ms Montez now, one at a time,' Troy overheard.

He glanced behind him where the nurse Taylor had abused before was standing in front of the Wildcats, informing them.

'Be incredibly careful around the machinery that is aiding Ms Montez, be sure you don't knock it or anything,'

The group nodded solemnly, their faces all betraying their urgency to see her, to will her back to life.

'So…whoever wants to go first…if they'd follow me,'

Troy knew what was coming next. After all the waiting, he'd have to wait in line, once again.

'Let Anne go first,' Chad volunteered.

The group didn't argue with him on the matter and Gabriella's tearful mother was led out of the room by the nurse.

Troy rejoined the group, taking his seat. Sharpay smiled discreetly and Zeke nodded his head softly in his direction, truly acknowledging his presence for the first time. He had another sort-of-ally.

'Do you think Anne will be okay?' Ryan mused out loud to the entire group, 'She was barely keeping it together when we picked her up,'

'Yeah,' Taylor added, 'And what if…'

There it was, in Taylor's trailed off, uncomfortable statement. The big what if. What if she didn't wake up? What if they weren't ok? What if things weren't ever the same again?

'You can't think like that,' Chad insisted, placing a hand on his fiancée's arm gently, 'You have to think positive,'

Taylor whipped around to glare at him, stiffening up instantly, 'I don't _have _to do anything!'

With that she thrust herself out of her seat, tearing out of the waiting area furiously, the sound of her clicking heels fading behind her.

The group fell into an awkward silence, their eyes shifting away from one another. Nobody wanted to be witness to something as intimate and private as that…

Chad growled low in his throat and Troy swore, for a moment, that he glared straight at him. Chad shook his head, pushing himself away from his chair.

'I'm going to fix this fucking mess,' he growled, swivelling his eyes around to Troy.

This time there was no mistaking it. It was a murderous glare filled with rage and contempt and it was pointed directly at him.

Chad stormed away from the group still cursing under his breath.

And now there were five…

Kelsi gnawed on her lip nervously, her eyes innocently wide as she watched Chad disappear and then she gripped her husband's hand tighter. Sharpay and Zeke exchanged knowing, sad looks.

They knew were all thinking the same thing. Would they all come out of this whole thing unscathed?

* * *

'Tay? Where are you Tay?' Chad called as he wandered down the poorly lit maze of tunnels he had chased his fiancée down.

There was resounding silence, not even the clattering of her heels which had faded out a few minutes prior. He knew she was hiding around this area but where…

'Come on Tay!' he sighed exasperatedly, 'It's just me!'

As he rounded the corner he saw a figure sitting on a gurney, poised stiff and prim. He'd found her.

'Tay,' he murmured, 'Come on, talk to me,'

'I don't want to talk to you Chad,' Taylor replied sharply, her tone frosty.

Gently he eased himself up onto the gurney beside her, glad to feel her warmth close to him. She wasn't going anywhere just yet.

A flash brought his attention to her hand. She was fiddling with her engagement ring, sliding it on and off her finger. Chad's stomach dropped and he went cold. It felt like she was removing that ring for a purpose, that she no longer wanted it there.  
He quickly reached over, trapping her hand under his, stilling her movements. She hissed quietly, snatching her hand back.

'Don't Chad!' she snapped.

Chad couldn't take much more, a strange turmoil of fear and rage boiling inside. He leapt lithely off the gurney, approaching the opposite wall. Why was she doing this? Why was _he _doing this to them?

'Taylor! Seriously!' Chad groaned, 'Just…'

'Just what Chad?' she snarled back, 'Just what?'

'Just…stop it!' he cried, 'Stop blocking me! Stop building walls! God damn it, talk to me!'

Taylor was monetarily silent and he swore he could hear her bristling.

'What do you want me to talk about Chad?' she questioned coolly, 'What the hell is there to talk about?'

'Taylor, you're best friend almost died for God's sake!' Chad bellowed, 'She had brain-freaking-surgery! How about _that!_ Is that enough to talk about?'

'Chad don't yell at me!' she shrieked back.

The rage erupted furiously in Chad's chest. This was getting them nowhere. No one was talking and they were going around and around in circles.

Frustrated, Chad smacked his open palm against the brick wall. The sharp smacking sound resounded frighteningly through the empty corridor but he didn't care. He was beyond furious. This wasn't what had planned.

'I can't take this Chad!' Taylor cried, 'This is absolutely ridiculous!'

She jumped off the gurney and marched forward to escape. Chad caught her forearm in his hand as she brushed past, spinning her closer to his body. He backed her up until she was pinned against the wall by his body.

'This is not ridiculous,' he rumbled, 'This is serious Taylor. We need to talk,'

Taylor's dark eyes glinted furiously, 'We do not need _anything_,'

'Taylor!'

'Look!' she snapped, 'The more seconds you stand here wasting my time is the more seconds of Gabriella's life that slip away until she never, ever wakes up again!'

She then shoved against his chest and he stumbled back a little. Taylor took advantage of the momentary weakness, storming down the dark corridors into oblivion.  
As his fiancée disappeared, Chad propped himself up against the brick wall with his palm. Everything seemed to be falling apart. Days ago everything had been perfect, a whole summer ahead of them, Gabriella and the rest of their friends in _their _town.  
What had changed?  
His eyes darkened and he bristled. He knew what had changed…

_Troy._

* * *

It seemed like hours since Anne Montez had left. Endless, torturous, arduous hours. From the moment she had disappeared time had inevitably slowed down, until it trickled by teasing and taunting him.  
Troy's mind darted anxiously, untamable, frantic and crazy. What did Gabriella look like? What would he say to her? When would he see her?  
But still Anne stayed with her daughter, keeping Troy's anxiety at a high level. He _needed _to see her. Now.

'Troy…' Sharpay whispered, nudging Troy gently, 'Look,'

He looked up to see Anne Montez, ashen faced and quivering, being supported by a gentle nurse. A lump formed in his throat, and his stomach twisted. That wasn't a good reaction…

'Oh my god!' Kelsi gasped, 'What happened!'

The nurse frowned, 'It…was a lot of information to absorb. She's just a little shaken,'

Troy and Ryan both jumped up to aid the nurse, helping to lower Gabriella's mother into one of the plastic chairs.

'She'll be okay,' the nurse promised, 'Once she's had a chance to comprehend it all. Does any one else want to see her?'

Troy's heart leapt. He could finally see her.

He glanced at the other four gathered there, immediately concerned that they would make him wait longer. Zeke nodded, Ryan bowed his head demurely, Sharpay shrugged and Kelsi offered him a small, sad smile. He had permission.  
He jumped up, his heart pounding. He was going to see her…

'I want to see her!'

A lofty, sharp voice interrupted Troy's exclamation and he whirled around. Taylor was clicking back into the room, her head held high despite her undeniably red eyes. She pursed her lips, swivelling with her hands propped up on her hips. She arched her eyebrows and fixed him with a defiant stare. She _dared _him to defy her. She wanted a fight with _anyone_.

Troy felt Sharpay's small hand on his elbow and he backed away, slowly sitting down again. Disappointment ached in his stomach. He was so close…

The nurse's eyes flickered between Troy's crushed expression and Taylor's insolent stare. She shook her head, choosing to ignore any drama and waved a welcoming arm at Taylor, softly murmuring, 'This way,'

Troy buried his face in his hands, trying to quell the burning ache in behind his eyes. He understood it. He was the absent ex-boyfriend who hadn't been around for five years and she was the best friend who had always loved and cared for her. It was natural that Taylor went first. But still…

He was so close.

Sharpay, squeezed his arm softly but he didn't look up. How much longer did he have to wait?

He sighed heavily, squeezing his eyes shut. He _needed _to see her.

* * *

Chad didn't know what to do. He paced the dark corridor up and down, up and down. Occasionally orderlies or scrub clad doctors passed him, but they barely offered him a wayward glance as they hurried through their day.

He didn't know what to do. It felt like déjà vu, so reminiscent of they months after Troy's departure. He was losing his grip on Taylor and he knew it. Life may never be the same again.

Five years ago he had been forced to hide his lovingly purchased engagement ring in his sock drawer for almost 3 years because of what had happened. At the time Taylor became withdrawn, spending her hours with Gabriella who only stared blankly at the wall, eyes bloodshot and sad. Chad had never resented her and more often than not had spent nights awake cradling her in his arms, whispering softly in her ear. But even when Gabriella got back to her feet and was capable of sorting herself out things had not gone back to the way they were. Taylor skirted around serious topics like children and their future beyond what they were going to eat for dinner the following night. He knew as a guy that he should be rejoicing a woman who didn't want to talk about things but with Taylor it was different. Taylor was the girl who made all the plans and suddenly she didn't see any. What was the point when in the end everyone left? It seemed that as soon as Gabriella's Cinderella-esque fairytale ended so did all of Taylor's faith in love. And Chad.

From the day Troy left, Taylor only saw Chad through Troy. As far as Taylor was concerned they were two peas in a pod, from the same roots. In Taylor's eyes he was standing with one foot out of the door  
.For years Chad fought the assumptions. Taylor didn't trust him, Taylor found it hard to let him in. Even as Gabriella moved on with boring, stuffy law students whom she never really even liked, Taylor still struggled. Every time she looked at him she saw Troy.  
Eventually life became as normal as it ever could again. Gabriella smiled but she never sang. Years passed but with gaping holes where Troy was supposed to be. Taylor began to tell him things and eventually Chad proposed. They had all settled, and they were all okay. They were never going to see Troy again.

And now he was back. Gabriella was lying in a hospital bed, in a coma and Taylor was shutting down. She was playing with her ring indecisively and blocking him out of his life. Except this time, he wasn't sure if they'd ever recover. Things may never go back to where they were.  
And Troy was the root of it all, the source of all their calamity, heart ache and lost sleep. It was Troy's fault.

He needed to do something about it.

* * *

'Just be aware of all the machinery,' the nurse warned gently as she led Taylor into Gabriella's small room.

'Thankyou,' Taylor replied tersely, lowering herself into the uncomfortable chair by her friend's bed, 'I'll keep that in mind,'

'I'll be in soon to check on her,' the nurse said, 'I'll see you then,'

Taylor nodded, turning her undivided attention onto the girl in the bed before her.

The girl with the wires and tubes seemed like such a far cry from the girl whom she had been shopping with the day before.

Taylor frowned. When they had been shopping had she known? Had she'd known that she was going to meet Troy? Had she known and not said anything?

She shook her head frustratedly. It didn't make sense, why didn't she say anything?

Why wasn't Gabriella around to answer these questions? Why couldn't she explain to her confused and bewildered friends what was happening?

Taylor opened her mouth to tell her all those things, to explain her own frustration. The words died in her throat, silenced, never to be spoken. Her lungs sealed up and her tongue went dry. How did she say it?

'Uh…nurse?'

The nurse paused on her path out of the room, turning to look at Taylor, 'Yes?'

'W-what do I say?'

The nurse frowned, 'What do you mean, what do I say?'

'What do I say to her?'

'Say what you think she'd like to hear,' the nurse offered with a sad smile, 'Say what you _need _to hear,'

'Thanks…' Taylor said insincerely.

With that the nurse disappeared and Taylor collapsed against the chair. Gabriella's hand lay limp and motionless mere inches away from her. So, so close. She could hold her hand.

Instead Taylor withdrew her own hand, standing up. She couldn't do this right now. Gabriella needed someone who could.

She stalked out of the room, past the nurse who lifted her head curiously.

'Ms McKessie?'

Taylor shook her head silently, rendered numb and senseless, only aware of her heart racketing against her rib cage. What was she doing? What was she doing?

Her eyes unseeing, she stared ahead of her, walking. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't care. She just needed to get out of there.

* * *

'Uh…'

Kelsi looked up to see the nurse standing back before her. She frowned, Taylor had only been gone ten minutes. Troy had gone off to some dark corner to think and Chad still hadn't returned.

'Can I help you?' Sharpay sniped.

'Ms McKessie has…left Ms Montez. So I came to see if someone else wanted to see her now.'

Sharpay's eyes widened in surprise and she threw a terrified glance at Ryan.

'I'm not…' she murmured.

'It's okay Shar…someone else will go,'

'I will,'

The words had blurted from her mouth before she was even aware. Kelsi squeaked, clapping a hand over her mouth. Crap. Why did she say that?

'Good,' the nurse nodded, 'Follow me,'

Kelsi shakily got to her feet, looking over to her husband who looked as surprised as she felt.

'Are you sure?' he questioned softly, reaching out for her hand.

Kelsi nodded uncertainly, 'Yeah…sure, I'll have to do eventually right?'

He shrugged uneasily, 'If you're sure,'

'Yeah, of course…'

Kelsi released his hand, to follow the nurse. As she walked away from the rest of her friends her stomach erupted with butterflies and she jittered nervously on the spot. What was she thinking? Troy was going to be so mad when he realized he'd missed another chance. What would Gabriella look like? What if she wasn't ready to see what she about to?

'Just through there,' the nurse instructed, waving Kelsi into the room.

'Thanks,' she murmured.

As soon as she had stepped over the threshold Kelsi's heart dropped. Everything was so still and motionless in the room. It felt like the life had been drained from it.

Machine's beeped slowly and steadily, each doing their part to keep Gabriella alive. IV's dripped methodically, linked up to Gabriella's fragile, waif-like wrists.  
And Gabriella, lying there, dwarfed by even the tiny crinkly hospital bed. She was held down to the bed by cotton blankets tucking her in up to her chest. One big, bulky tube was sprouting from her mouth almost grotesquely, ensuring that oxygen continued to enter her body. Thick, gauzy white bandages swathed her head, hiding beneath it where she had been so brutally sliced just hours before.  
Her face had been cleaned up, so only scratches and the long, dagger-thin gash that had been stitched up again, remained. Another thick bandage encompassed her left hand where, as the doctor said, it had been sliced and torn with glass.

Taking a deep breath, Kelsi reached for Gabriella's free hand. Her hand fell limp and clammy in Kelsi's grasp and it took all of Kelsi's will not to sob. This wasn't Gabriella. This wasn't her friend.  
Kelsi wracked her mind back to the last time she'd seen Gabriella, before she arrived in Albuquerque. When she, Ryan and Sharpay had left her house the night she came home. Then she had been content, smiling and hugging all of her friends, but she had kept that same, hollow eyes that she had worn ever since Troy's departure. It had killed Kelsi to see the girl whose eyes were so bright and youthful suddenly flicker out into nothing and to hear her voice that once used to sound so sweet, for Troy, be silenced forever.

Kelsi didn't really know what to say. She knew begging her to wake up would do nothing but make her cry, and she knew that mindless chatter wasn't helping her. Gabriella needed something real, something that would maybe just make her live. She needed something to hold onto.

Kelsi glanced surreptitiously around the room before ducking her head closer to Gabriella's.

'I have a secret,' she whispered, 'And I think you'd want to hear it,'

Gabriella didn't even stir and Kelsi, slightly disheartened, continued.

'See the thing is I'm…'

'Oh my god!'

A very Sharpay-esque scream erupted, slicing through Kelsi's confession. Immediately Kelsi leapt up, startled, letting go of Gabriella's hand. Definite male grunts and shouts could be heard, amongst scuffling and movement.

'What the hell?' Kelsi questioned, slipping out of Gabriella's room.

She emerged into the waiting room, searching for the source of commotion.

And then she found it. She appeared by the door just in time to spy Chad's fist swing to connect firmly with Troy's jaw.

'Oh my god,' she whispered.

_I can't ask you to deal with  
All of the stuff that comes with  
Why I'm losing all I'm choosing  
I'm giving it all I can now  
This is my first demand how  
Everything is crazy  
Everyone is crazy_

* * *

**Eeeee! **

**I'm so excited about what's coming up in the next… 4 chapters. Seriously! I can't wait for you guys to read them!**

**I'm gonna go all crazy author on you again about every author's favourite topic; reviews. Guys, I really love them. Some of you have been amazing, never failing to leave a review for each chapter. You know who you are, I am incredibly grateful for you and every time I post a new chapter I look forward to your reactions.**

**I'm not going to hold chapters for ransom (eg; give me five reviews and then I'll post the next chapter…), because I love writing and I don't do it for the reviews, but I do love to know what you're thinking, what you might have done different, what surprised you, etc. **

**Whether I hear from you or not, thank you for reading! I'll have the next chapter up soon!**

* * *


	10. For Her

**There is a little foul language at the very beginning of the chapter. Don't like, don't read. I've given you warning, and it only lasts for a little bit**.

* * *

'Where'd Kelsi go?' Troy questioned as he shuffled back up to the gathered group.

Ryan and Sharpay exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to tell him the truth, 'Uh she…she went in to see Gabriella,'

Troy's face crumpled and he stared back at them disbelievingly, 'She…Taylor's already done?'

'Apparently she just walked out,' Ryan shrugged, 'She just couldn't take it. You were gone when the nurse offered someone else to go in so Kels took it,'

'Oh…' Troy murmured, 'I see…'

Before Troy could say anything else a loud yell erupted from across the room.

'BOLTON!'

Troy turned slightly, only to see Chad, red faced, fuming, his eyes mad and dangerous as he stormed across the room towards Troy.

'Hi Chad, what's u-'

Troy's words died in his throat as Chad reached him, swinging his arm back to punch Troy across the face. He groaned, stumbling back heavily and Sharpay screamed. He recovered, clutching his smarting jaw.

'Hey what the he-'

Chad swung back again, clobbering him across the nose this time. Instinctually Troy retaliated, aiming for Chad.

The competition only fuelled Chad's anger and he slammed his full body weight against Troy, aiming for his face again.

Kelsi shrieked, suddenly appearing in the midst of it all. Chad and Troy wrestled for domination, throwing punches, shouldering one another and attempting to throw the other to the ground.

'Stop! Stop! Stop!' Sharpay squealed, 'Stop it!'

Troy was barely aware of Ryan's half-manic pleas to calm down, only conscious of Chad's thirst for his blood. Troy's fist connected with Chad's cheekbone and both men went tumbling to the ground.

Still fighting, they crashed into furniture, knocking over stacks of paperwork and potted plants. Nurses yelped as both men kicked and beat at one another's extremities, wrestling, trying to gain some form of control. Chad continued to lash out, rolling above Troy so he was in power.

'It's. All. ' he seethed, punctuating each word with a blow, 'Your. Fucking. Fault.'

Troy writhed beneath Chad, lashing out for his face again.

'You. Ruin. Fucking. Everything!' Chad bellowed, still punching, 'It's. All. Your. Fucking. Fault!'

Troy suddenly went limp, his vision clearing, the will to fight draining out of him. He wasn't…

'You! Destroy! Everything! All! Your! Fault! You! Killed! Her!'

There was no more reason to fight. As Chad dealt severe blows to wherever he could reach, Troy didn't even bother to defend himself, completely dumbstruck. Maybe he was right…

'STOP IT!'

Ryan's voice suddenly bellowed over the top of it all, uncharacteristically loud, as physically dragged Chad off Troy.

Troy watched helplessly as Chad was tossed unceremoniously toward his fiancée who had come out of hiding in the commotion. Ryan then turned to Troy, hauling him to his feet.

'Get him out of here,' Ryan ordered severely to Taylor, 'Get him the _hell _out of here!'

Ryan's voice was so rarely serious and angry that no one dared to disobey. Taylor glared pointedly at Troy before grabbing her fiancé's arm, dragging him from the waiting room.

Ryan looked back at Troy, shaking his head disbelievingly, 'I…I…I just can't believe…'

Troy barely heard his words as he stared at the floor blankly. Chad had said…

The blonde man clenched his fist, still shaking his head. Zeke appeared at Troy's side, holding out a set of car keys, breaking Troy from his reverie.

'Look man. It's the green SVU,' Zeke advised in a low voice, 'Get out of here for a while. Get out of Chad's face, get out of the hospital, go for a shower,'

Troy began to protest blandly but Zeke silenced him with his hand, 'Seriously dude. Unless you want that to happen again… Just go take a breather,'

Wordlessly, Troy accepted the keys and wandered from the waiting room absently without another sound.

His feet moved without direction as he shuffled from the room, his mind racing with overflowing thoughts. Chad had said… he…

Somehow he managed to make it into the parking lot without breaking his neck. He circled the parking lot vaguely until he finally located Zeke's company SVU nestled in amongst two silver sports car. Still blank and numb, Troy unlocked the car, hoisting himself inside.

How could he be leaving at a time like this? What about Gabriella? What if she woke up while he was gone?

And then his mind was back at Chad's words and his stomach wrenched. He jammed the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. Unsteadily he backed it out of the parking lot and onto the open road.

As Troy drove his mind filled with thoughts again. _All your fault. All your fault. All your fault…_

His vision blurred with tears and he stared forward determinedly. _All your fault. All your fault…_

He pressed down on the gas pedal, pushing the car faster towards his parent's house. _ALL YOUR FAULT!_

God only knew how but Troy managed to navigate his way to his parent's house without killing himself. The car screeched up to the curb and he leapt out, tears stinging eyes furiously. He slammed the car dor, not even bothering to lock it behind him.

Incomprehensible emotions swelled inside of him and his head swum. What did he do? What did he do?

He broke into a feverish sprint toward the house, flinging the door open and thundering through the hall. Was he even conscious any more?

He stumbled up the stairs, choked and gasping for air. He tripped over his own feet. He felt suffocated by the feelings, threatening to tumble out, almost buckling under the pressure to cry out.

He fell into the bathroom, the door clattering noisily behind him as he kicked it shut. He collapsed bonelessly against the counter and he gasped weakly. It was all his fault. He had killed her…

And then the first sob escaped. His body hitched abruptly and he tensed, almost bracing himself for what was to come. Then he could stop them. They poured from his heart, racking his entire frame. He fell against the counter, crying out noisily. He had killed her. It was all his fault. He had done all this to her. It was all his fault. What had he done? What had he done?

'Troy?'

His mother, obviously disturbed by the noise appeared in the bathroom doorway. Upon assessing her son's state, she wordlessly swept into the room, shutting the door behind her. She pulled her grown son away from the bench, sealing him into a tight embrace. Gently she eased him down to the floor and they leant against the bathtub. Troy shook violently with sobs and he buried his face in his mother's shoulder.

'I killed her!' he sobbed, 'It's all my fault!'

Lucille's heart constricted painfully and she stroked her son's matted blonde hair, 'Baby, you didn't kill her. It's not your fault; the truck driver was drunk, there was nothing you could have done!'

'But I made her get in the car with me!' he yelled, his throat raw and painful, 'She wasn't supposed to be in the car with me! I offered her a ride home!'

'Baby…'

'I made her get in the car! She could have been at home with Sharpay, curled up safely. But I made her get into the car! I didn't want to say goodbye, so I made her get into the car! It's my fault that she's like this!'

Troy convulsed with each violent cry. Everything he had been feeling, the reality of it all was crushing on him. It was all his fault. All. His. Fault.

'Stop!'

Lucille grabbed her son's face, pulling it away from her shoulder so she could see him. Troy shook harder with anguish and Lucille shook her head.

'Troy!' she barked.

He stopped momentarily, his eyes, devoid of life, lifting up to hers. He looked at her hollow and empty and her heart wrenched again.

'This is _not _your fault Troy,' she insisted quietly, 'You did not kill her. Gabriella will be fine,'

'But I…'

'You didn't make her get in the car. You didn't make the truck driver drink. You didn't make this happen. You cannot control _everything _Troy. This is not your fault,'

Troy blinked blearily at her, his eyes still welling with tears.

'Sweetheart,' she sighed, kissing his forehead, 'You can't do this to yourself. If there ever was a time when Gabriella would need you, _this _is it, ok? You can't do this, just think of her,'

He nodded shakily, a silvery tear slithering down his cheek. He buried his head back into the crook of his mother's neck, shaking his head.

'It's not right,' he cried softly, 'It shouldn't be like this. It…it just shouldn't be like this at all… what if she isn't all right? What if she doesn't wake up?'

Lucille remained silent, just rubbing her hand in circles around her son's back. She didn't have the answers. She wished she did, but there was nothing in this moment that she could do for her son. She pulled him a little tighter, her grown son's limbs pressed against her body, as she rocked him back and forth gently. That was the best she could do for now.

* * *

Taylor snapped and snarled and Chad the whole way back to his parent's house. She yelled at him, berated him, shrieking, making sure he knew exactly what he had done wrong.

'What the hell is wrong with you!' Taylor shrieked loudly, 'What the _hell _is wrong with your _retarded _brain that you decided to punch Troy Bolton? Actually _physically _punch Troy Bolton? What the hell is wrong with you?'

Chad was too weary to bother replying. She just wanted to fight with him.

'You are such a moron! What the hell is wrong you? What could be so…so tragic that you decided to become a Neanderthal? What the hell is wrong with you?'

'You!' Chad snapped, '_You _are what the hell is wrong with me! You're standing with one foot out the door, you've got iron bars around your heart!'

Taylor ruffled indignantly, anger swelling in her eyes, 'How _dare _you! _You _brought this on yourself!'

Chad shrugged, 'Maybe I was the one who punched Troy, but you're the one who started it all. You're the one who decided that you had had enough, you were going to shut me out!'

Taylor rolled her eyes, 'All the same,' she muttered, 'You and Troy. Same peas in the pod. It's _never _your fault,'

Chad couldn't help the spike of anger flashing through his system. He punched the dashboard, hissing viciously.

'Enough!' he bellowed, 'Ever since, _ever since _Troy left Gabriella you have been in a relationship with Troy. Never mind me, Chad, the one who you're with, the one who you supposedly love, but you've been with Troy and his ghost that haunted all your memories. I've had enough Taylor! I'm the one who's here, still loving you after so many god damn years and you can't even bring yourself to stop and think about me! I'm _not leaving _Taylor! Can't you understand that! I'm not leaving!'

Taylor fell silent, her face still contorted with suppressed rage and she pressed harder on the accelerator in stony silence.

Chad flopped back against the car seat, sighing wearily. He had said it…

As soon as they screeched to a halt Taylor threw herself out of the car, slamming the car door when they pulled up and huffed her way up the stairs.  
As they had reached the guest bedroom, Taylor had grimaced at him, pointedly turning her back, dismissing him. He disappeared into the shower wondering if she'd still be there when he came back.  
His mind was still swimming. Taylor had been toying with her engagement ring and then he had seen red. All he had known was that Troy was the catalyst. Everything had been fine before he came back and now…

Now Gabriella was in a coma.

Uneasily, Chad stepped out of his shower, wrapping a plump cream towel around his hips. He grabbed another towel off the rack, rubbing down his hair as he turned to survey himself in the mirror. A dark purplish swelling was forming around his right eye and he had a cut on his cheekbone. This was not good…  
Gently he stepped out of the bathroom and into the guest bedroom. He felt the faintest twinge of surprise when he saw Taylor sitting primly on the edge of the bed, still waiting for him.  
He hated that he was surprised. He hated that he had expected her to be gone by now…

'Uh…hey,' he said uncomfortably, ringing his hair out.

'Hey,' she replied, her voice vaguely wooden, 'How was your shower?'

She sat before him, her cocktail dress and heels long discarded. She had cleared her face of all her make up and now sat on the corner of the bed in baggy jeans and a tank top.

He took another hesitant step toward her, unsure of her reaction, 'It…it was fine,'

When she didn't flinch, he eased himself down onto the bed beside her.

'Are you okay?' she asked quietly.

'Yeah,' Chad replied, hating the awkward, stilted manner in which they were talking, 'I'm…fine.'

Fine. Everything was fine. Gabriella wasn't in hospital. Bolton wasn't mysteriously back. Taylor wasn't on the verge of breaking up with him. Everything was fine.  
They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, Taylor picked at threads on the duvet beneath her. Gingerly Chad moved to stand up and get changed. He may as well do something. As he lifted himself from the mattress his weight shifted, putting all the pressure on his left hand. A shot of pain burst up his arm like hot barbed wire and he grunted in surprise.

Taylor looked up alarmed, 'Your hand?'

Wincing, Chad nodded, 'Yeah…I must have bruised it or something,'

'Well it's no surprise,' she snapped.

Chad grimaced, moving to walk away; he wasn't getting into this with her again.

'Stop!' she called, her voice gentler this time, 'Let me take a look at your hand,'

Chad flopped back down onto the bed, extending his left hand. It was swollen and angry from the severe lashings he had served Troy.

Gently she probed his skin, her slender fingers tracing the outline of the bruises and grazes, sighing softly as she did.

'I don't think you've broken any bones,' she said quietly, 'But it looks pretty sore,'

She got herself up from the bed and wandered into the adjoining bathroom.

'I'll just do this for precautionary measures,' she called, her voice muffled through the door, 'And I think you should probably let your hand rest for a while,'

She reappeared, first aid kit in hand.

Taylor lowered herself back down onto the bed, pulling his hand into her lap. She produced a bandage from the depths of the box and then set about working on his hand.

'Me? Was this really all about _me?_' she sighed, as she gently swathed his hand in bandages, 'What on earth were you thinking?'

Chad suddenly felt foolish under Taylor's soft and concerned tones. He had physically beaten Troy up. In all their years of friendship they had never fought like that before. Why had he let that happen?

'I…I just…Tay. You know how I feel, I've said…_everything_'

Taylor looked dropped her eyes to the ground, 'Chad… I… I don't think you understand.'

'I _do _Taylor!' he cried exasperatedly, 'I do understand because for five years, it has been my life. _I can't say yes to Chad's proposal because he's going to leave me. I can't move in with Chad because he's joined a basketball team. _That has been my life Taylor!'

Shame flooded her face and she bit her lip, 'I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize…'

'Look, Tay, this hasn't been easy on any of us,' Chad stated, 'Seeing him was the last thing that either of us thought would ever happen. And I know that seeing him reminded me of what happened after he left the first time…' he stammered, 'I thought…'

'Thought what?'

He shook his head, taking a deep breath, 'I thought I was losing you again,'

Taylor pinned his bandage in place, before looking up at him pensively.

'You thought what?'

'I thought…with you taking the engagement ring off and shutting me out…I just thought,'

Her eyes widened with incredulity, 'You thought I was going to break up with you?'

'Well…after last time…'

Taylor sighed, raking a hand over her face, 'Chad, last time was…last time was different. Troy, _Troy_ the romantic of our group had left Gabriella high and dry. Last time I was so confused. Gabriella was lost. She had no idea how it had happened or why it had happened. One day she was planning a wedding and the next she was lying on her bathroom floor with a bottle of Malibu,'

'But this time…with all the pulling away and shutting me down…'

She shook her head, 'Gabriella's in hospital Chad. My _best friend_ is in hospital and there's nothing I can do to save her. Nothing's normal at the moment,'

'So you're not going to end things?'

Taylor smiled sadly, 'No. Of course not. I wouldn't dream of doing that!'

She reached out for his good hand, lacing it with hers. The cool, sharp edges of the diamond on her finger dug into the flesh of his palm but he found the sensation oddly comforting.

'We need it other Chad,' she sighed, squeezing his hand, 'More than ever now,'

'I know, it's just…'

'I'm sorry,' she apologized candidly, 'I'm sorry that I brushed you off, I'm sorry that I didn't let you in. My head was just a little… I won't do it again. You're Chad. _My _Chad and I know that. And I love you,'

He offered her a crooked smile, 'You promise?'

'I promise,' she replied.

Chad leant forward, pressing a kiss into his fiancée's hair. She shuffled up to lean against him and he wrapped an arm around her.

They were going to be okay. He knew that now. They had so much ahead of them, so much that their future could hold, if they could fight together for Gabriella.

And with that, a weight lifted off Chad's shoulders and despite the worst of circumstances, despite the fact that he knew it was wrong; he smiled.

* * *

Eventually Troy's cries slowed. Lucille didn't know how long; she lost track of time, but eventually his shakes turned into shudders and his shudders turned into quiet sniffles. He cried into his mother's shoulder softly, clinging tightly to her damp shirt until eventually his anguish silenced itself.  
Now he was empty, all his tears cried, all his emotions spent. He sat on the bathroom floor, holding his mother tightly, silence, ringing in the air around them.  
Lucille wished she knew what to say. She wished she could do something, anything to make her son want to go on. Make him believe that it wasn't his fault. She hated feeling so helpless, so powerless when her son was in such agony. Why couldn't she do anything for him?  
Troy released his grip on his mother, lifting his soggy face from her shoulder. His hair was matted, thick with tears and days without showering. His eyes, usually so vibrant and beautiful enough to make the girls of the world swoon were bloodshot, empty and dark. His lips were chapped, his skin was pale and he looked haggard and old. He didn't look like America's Choice anymore. He was a man on the verge of losing his whole life.

'I'm sorry,' he croaked out hoarsely.

'Oh baby,' Lucille sighed, stroking his clammy cheek, 'It's okay. You did nothing wrong…'

His hollow eyes flickered down at himself and then he looked back up at her sorrowfully, 'I didn't mean to…'

'It's okay,' she insisted, 'I'm here for you. I understand,'

She pressed a kiss to his forehead gently, wishing she could convey to him everything she felt.

'It'll be okay,' she promised.

'But Gabriella…'

'But Gabriella will wake up,' Lucille promised confidently, 'Gabriella will wake up and she'll ask for you okay?'

Troy's eyes flickered with something that she prayed was hope. He shook his head morosely.

'She will,' Lucille promised, 'She'll ask a nurse to call for you and do you want her to see you like this?'

Troy looked down at himself and shame filled his face.

'Honey, for Gabriella's sake, go for a shower, have something to eat, get into some fresh clothes. Gabriella wouldn't want to see you like this,'

Lucille pushed herself up off the floor then, turning to offer her son some help. Troy accepted, allowing her to pull him to his feet. When he stood beside her, towering over her, he swept her into a crushing hug.

'Thankyou,' he murmured huskily, 'Thank you so much,'

Lucille squeezed his hand, 'It's okay baby,'

With that they let go and she swept from the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Troy turned to prop himself up against the bathroom counter, surveying his ghoulish, broken form in the mirror.  
His mother was right. He needed to pull himself back together for her sake. He had to believe that she'd be calling for him soon.

* * *

Kelsi didn't move for many minutes. After her husband had thrown himself between two brawling basketball players, after Chad had been dragged away with Taylor, after Troy had been banished from the hospital by Ryan. After it all had happened.  
Her mind swum with images that just didn't add up in her mind. Chad. Troy. Fight. Scream. Blood.  
Nothing seemed right. Everything was back to front, mixed up and it all formed as nonsense in her mind.  
Numbly, she wandered back to where she had been sitting before the commotion. Gabriella lay, still unchanging, in her bed. Kelsi's heart instantly slowed and the crazy stream of thoughts halted. She had to keep everything together. This made sense.

Gently she gathered Gabriella's cool hands in hers.  
'Gabi,' she whispered, leaning forward to prop her chin on the prickly uncomfortable blankets, 'I want to tell you my secret. I hope that, if nothing else does it'll give you a bit more of a reason to live,'  
Gabriella's machines beeped methodically in response. Kelsi squeezed her hand, smiling bravely.

'I'm pregnant,' she whispered.

It was the first time she'd said it out loud, for even her own voice to hear. Since she'd peed on a stick hours before she was supposed to fly out of London, she didn't think it had really sunk in. Tears pricked her eyes and she couldn't help the giddy smile that grew on her lips.

'I'm pregnant Gabs,' she murmured, leaning back in her chair, 'I'm having a baby,'

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to imagine what would have been Gabriella's response.

"_Oh my God sweetie! That's amazing! Congratulations!'_

She imagined Gabriella, throwing her slender arms around her, pulling her into a tight, proud hug and somehow it made her feel better.

'Gabi, listen. I don't want you to be the aunt that I tell my baby about, ok? I don't want you to be just a photograph and ten years down the road have them not knowing who you are at all. I want you to be the godmother. I want you to be there, with me, with them for everything. I want you to be cool Aunt Gabriella who lets them eat ice cream for breakfast or whatever. I want you to be there,'

Kelsi fell silent, a strange mixture of emotions bubbling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to smile, to shout out to the whole world her wonderful news. She wanted everyone to know.  
And then she wanted to cry. Her heart ached and the corners of her mouth twitched down dangerously. She wanted Gabriella to be there, to tell her in person just how excited she was. She wanted her friend back.

'Gabi,' she said, her voice wavering softly, 'I just hope that helps. If you're trying to make your decision about whether to go into the light or whatever…I just hope that helps you make your choice. Because…if that doesn't make you want to fight, I don't know what will,'

She leant back in her seat, her confession leaving her drained and limp. She had no more to say right now. She took peace in the quiet silence and the oddly comforting, methodical beeps of the machine's keeping Gabriella alive. It was nice.  
And then the silence was wrecked. Machine's shrieked and screamed with alarm, alarms whooped and whirled. Gabriella began to shake in her bed, twitching and convulsing, her head tossing from side to side.  
Kelsi leapt out of her seat, petrified and a storm of nurses and doctors burst into the room. Immediately they surrounded Gabriella, shouting out orders for drugs and different instruments.  
Shocked and frozen Kelsi stood, huddled up against the wall, listening to the sounds of Gabriella's machines, and the constant thumping of her body against the mattress.

And then she heard the most terrifying sound of all. The one, constant, tortuous sound that no one ever wants to hear.

'She's flat lining!'

* * *

_'Ok, Gabs, your turn, spill,'_

_Gabriella choked on the sip of Coke in her mouth. Suddenly, without warning she had become the centre of the slumber party's attention. Four pairs of eyes were trained on her, filled with expectancy and anticipation._

'_Yeah Gabs, spill!' Sharpay insisted, 'With a glorious man like yours…there has to be something to spill,'_

_Gabriella spluttered for a few more moments, choking on the fizzy soda burning her throat._

'_E-excuse me?'_

'_Come on…' Martha begged, 'I'm the only single one here! You have to share!'_

'_Share what?' _

'_The details…come on something juicy!'_

_Gabriella shook her head insistently, her pigtails bobbing as she did, 'There's…there's nothing to spill,'_

_Taylor snorted derisively, 'You expect me to believe you? I've seen the way he looks at you!'_

_Self consciously, Gabriella toyed with the T around her neck. Her branding, the mark that made her his property._

_Gabriella shrugged, 'We…we make out…that's kind of all,'_

_Kelsi leaned forward imploring, 'Gabs, no one will say _anything. _Troy will never have to know what you say,'_

_She threw her hands up, 'I'm tell the truth! That's all we do!'_

_The group stared at her, as reality was beginning to sink in. That's all they did…_

_Sharpay pouted, looking genuinely disappointed, 'No juicy details? You just…make out?'_

_Gabriella frowned defensively, 'Troy's a gentleman… which is more I can say about your boyfriend Tay!'_

_Taylor shrugged bashfully, 'I'm not gonna deny it,'_

'_So…that's all you do? You kiss?' Sharpay pressed, concern furrowing her brow, 'What…what a waste of fine man,'_

_Taylor turned to Kelsi, 'Tell me you're not letting yours waste away!'_

_Sharpay shrieked shrilly before Kelsi could answer, clapping her hands over her ears, 'Don't! Don't! Don't! That's my baby brother you're talking about!'_

_Gabriella leant back on her hands, giggling. Slowly, the world before her began to flicker and reality took over. Present time. Darkness. Nothing. She had been so close to…something real._

_Somewhere, far away, muffled and echoed Gabriella heard one thing._

'_She's flatlining!'_

_And then it was all over._

* * *

Troy stepped out of the shower five minutes later. He yanked his towel off the hook, wrapping it snugly about his hips. His mother was right. He was pulling himself back together for Gabriella. Everything would be fine.

He felt a little better already, smelling clean of soap and shampoo, rather than a bar, and blood and death. He was going to be okay. He stepped out of the bathroom, padding his way down the hall until he reached his bedroom. He entered, and began to root through his suitcase.

He was Troy Bolton. He would be okay, Gabriella would be okay, everything would be okay.

He buttoned a pair of jeans on his hips securely. The nurses would be calling for him soon, telling him Gabriella had woken up and wanted to see him. Everything would change for the better.

As he tugged his polo shirt over his head, the phone began to ring downstairs as if on cue. He wished that his heart didn't leap like it did, but he couldn't help it. Maybe it was her.

He dashed down the stairs, excitement pumping through his veins. It was her. It was her. He'd see her soon.

He yanked the phone off the receiver, 'Hello?'

'Mr Bolton?'

'Yes, you're speaking to him,'

'This is Dr Meyers, the…'

'Yes, yes, I remember, the brain surgeon,' Troy replied, his heart pounding in anticipation. He was dragging this out…

'I'm sorry to inform you but Ms Montez started having a seizure about twenty minutes ago. She flat lined but…'

Troy felt like the floor had been cut out from underneath him. He felt like his stomach was plummeting and he'd never catch up with it.

'She what?'

'She flat lined. Her heart stopped for a few moments but now…'

'Is she fine?'

'She is now but…'

Troy slammed down the phone. That was all he needed to know. He needed to get the to hospital. Now.

_I'd be lying if I told you losing you was something I could handle…

* * *

_

**You guys are awe inspiring, your reviews last week were overwhelming and...no amount of words can express how much I love you guys! Please keep it coming, it helps the writing come a little easier!**


	11. The Best He Could

'I assure you Mr Bolton, no permanent damage should by done by the seizure,' the doctor echoed exasperatedly.

He attempted to sidestep Troy who blocked him deftly, stopping him from walking away.

'Should? _Should?_ So you're saying that you don't know?'

The doctor seemed to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes, 'I'm saying that I have more than one patient. I need to go see some of them,'

'Well you are the only doctor on Gabriella's case,' Troy insisted, 'So to me you're the only _doctor_ and you will answer my questions,'

The doctor sighed heavily, raking a hand over his face, 'Fine, Mr Bolton. What questions do you have?'

'Will it happen again?'

'Will what happen again?'

'Will she have another seizure? Will she…flat line like that again?'

'That's hard to tell,' Dr Meyers replied, 'We can't know. This could just be a side affect to the surgery.'

'So it could be permanent?'

'Maybe, maybe not,'

Troy clapped his hands over his face, frustration building rapidly. He wanted to punch this man. He wanted to punch this man. He wanted to…

'So what you're telling us is you don't know _anything_?'

It wasn't Troy who spoke that time, instead Chad's voice came from somewhere behind him. The other man stood, tight jawed and steely eyed. He stared the doctor down defiantly.

Dr Meyers sighed, 'We know a lot about your friend's case but we can't know everything. That's the volatile nature of brain injuries, but we still have substantial information,'

'So when will she wake up?' Chad demanded.

The doctor groaned, knowing he had to answer the inevitable, 'I don't know,'

Chad opened his mouth, his eyes flashing, to give the doctor more grief when a stern, single word command silenced him.

'Stop,'

Ryan's voice was gentle as he stepped in between Troy and the doctor. He shook his head, the vaguest of smiles on his face.

'Leave the doctor alone. He needs all the time he can get to help save Gabi,'

The doctor threw a grateful glance at the only levelheaded member of the group, nodding to him.

He then turned on Troy, pointedly staring him down.

'I'll call you when I know something,' he announced loftily as he disappeared.

'That guy's an ass,'

Troy turned around to find Taylor standing beside her fiancé. She looked so young, devoid of makeup, all barriers lowered, clinging onto the most important man in her life.

Ryan didn't even bother to disagree, just nodding his head begrudgingly.

'Just doing his job I suppose,' he shrugged.

For a moment, Troy felt a sense of camaraderie. Despite the fact that he had just brawled with Chad and Taylor had yelled him, despite the fact he hadn't seen Ryan in five years, it didn't matter. They all thought that the doctor was an ass and it united them.

And then reality set back in. Taylor cleared her throat and Ryan shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

'Let's…let's go take a seat,' Chad advised.

'Actually,' Ryan said, shaking his blonde head, 'I was planning on taking Kels to get some lunch. She's a bit shaken up about what happened with what happened with Gabriella,'

Taylor tutted sympathetically, 'Let me just go talk to her first,'

Taylor released her fiancée's waist, squeezing his hand gently as she passed him. She headed toward where Sharpay and Zeke were surrounding Kelsi's hunched form, leaving the three men in a haphazard circle. Heat rose uncomfortably up Troy's neck as they all attempted to avoid eye contact. His eyes landed on Chad's hand bandaged tightly and his stomach twisted. Great, a potentially ruined basketball career on his conscience. It was getting kind of hard to keep track of everything he was feeling guilty for.

Chad coughed, removing himself from the circle.

'I'm going to…go get some coffee,' he announced.

With that he swept away from the group. And then there were two.

'So…' Ryan said awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets as he searched for a topic that wasn't rude, insensitive or intrusive, 'How…how are the Lakers these days?'

* * *

'Thank god that torture's over,' Ryan murmured as he escaped the conversation from hell he had just been part of. For five whole minutes Troy and Ryan had attempted to converse without revealing details. They skirted around certain topics and awkwardly trailed off into oblivion when they realized they had said too much, leaving both men more uncomfortable than they could have anticipated.

He darted over to his wife who still sat slumped in one of the chairs, fiddling with the straps of her purse.

'You wanna get out of here?' he questioned outstretching his hand, 'Just for a little while,'

Her eyes glinted with anticipation and she accepted his hand thankfully. He pulled her to his feet and wrapped an arm around her midriff affectionately.

Easily, from years and years of practice, they fell into step, walking to the elevator.

'So are you okay?' Ryan questioned as soon as they were in the lobby, away from the curious eyes of their friends.

Kelsi bit her lip, tilting her head to look at him, 'A little shaken I guess,' she admitted, squeezing the hand that was resting on her hip, 'It came as a bit of a surprise,'

Ryan shook his head sombrely, 'I can only imagine.'

She smiled up at him, 'I'll be fine,' she promised, 'Nothing a cup of coffee and some time alone with you can't fix,'

'That's good to hear,' Ryan replied, 'Because I have the perfect place just across the road from the hospital that we can escape too,'

A luxurious smile crossed her lips, 'That sounds wonderful,'

They stepped out into the sticky sunshine of Albuquerque and Kelsi squeezed his hand tighter. Together they crossed the parking lot as an internal war began to rage.

She should probably tell him. She should let him know that in a matter of months he was going to be a father. She had told Gabriella…why shouldn't he know?

But Kelsi wasn't sure how to broach the subject. She knew that he would be thrilled, so his reaction wasn't something she feared; it was rather whether this was the right time. Gabriella was in hospital and when they got home they had the arduous process of launching a new musical in London. They were going to get busy over the next few months, training the London cast, choreographing, transposing, everything. He'd be too busy for a baby.

She looked up to see Ryan, smiling at her, adoration obvious in his eyes and the uneasy feeling lifted. All those things didn't matter any more because they were having a baby everything was going to be great.

* * *

'Mr Bolton?'

Troy looked up from the contemplation of his hands at the sound of a nurse's voice. She was standing by the nurse's station, a phone outstretched in her hands. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and she beamed brightly.

'Yes?' he questioned sharply.

'There's someone on the phone for you,' she smiled.

Troy frowned. Who on earth would be calling for him at the Albuquerque Hospital of all places? His parents wouldn't call; they would just show up if they wanted to find him. All of his "friends" were accounted for, so that left…

'It's someone by the name of Mr Lattimer,'

Troy's stomach plummeted.

Mr Lattimer. Head Coach of the Lakers. Hollywood's biggest, baddest boss.

Chad's head lifted in interest at the name of the rival coach, his eyebrows arching curiously.

Grimacing, Troy got to his feet. His feet felt leaden as he unwillingly dragged himself toward the nurse. He could already imagine what he'd say, what he'd tell Troy to do. He _really _didn't want to be having this conversation.

Feeling like he was walking to his execution, Troy reached the nurse's station and reached for the phone. _Brace yourself, brace yourself…_

'BOLTON! WHAT THE _HELL _IS GOING ON?'

That had been what he was expecting.

'What do you mean sir?' Troy asked politely.

'I MEAN WHY THE HELL ARE THE RAGS REPORTING THAT YOU ARE DEAD?' Troy's coach bellowed.

He winced, his eardrums ringing painfully.

'Well…uh…obviously I'm not dead,' Troy said quietly.

'So there was no car crash?' he demanded.

Troy couldn't believe that it had spread that fast. How had they found out? How much did they know?

'Well there was…a car crash,'

'BOLTON!'

Troy winced again, 'Sir I'm fine,'

'Are you injured? Will you play?'

'I'm _fine_,' Troy insisted, 'I'll be able to play as soon as a get home,'

'And when will that be?'

Troy stopped. The question of the year. God only knew what the answer was.

'You'll be home by the end of the week right? You have serious damage control to do with the tabloids,'

Troy's blood ran cold. The thought of returning home now seemed like the worse thing that could ever happen to him. He couldn't leave without seeing Gabriella, talking to her, making everything ok.

'Well see…this is the thing. I can't come home just yet,' Troy confessed.

His heart was pounding. He was really saying these things, he was committing to something he hadn't planned. And his coach was going to kill him.

'What is _this thing?_' the coach questioned scathingly.

'My… friend… was in the car with me. And she's been hurt. Seriously, hurt. I can't leave her,'

'Why?' he demanded brashly.

'Because, she needs me,'

'What's wrong with her?'

'She's in a coma. She's had brain surgery,'

'So she's nearly dead? You'll be home soon?'

Troy couldn't believe this man. He was known around Hollywood for his rudeness and abrupt manner of addressing people but this…

'No.'

'Excuse me? What did you just say to me Bolton?'

'I said no,' Troy repeated firmly, 'I'm not coming home until Gabriella is okay,'

The coach seemed lost for words. Nobody had probably ever defied him before.

'You _do _realize who I am Bolton? You _do _realize that I can destroy your career right?'

Troy took a deep breath. Now was not the time to show the man weakness, he'd exploit it endlessly.

'You can. But you won't,'

'And how do you know this?'

'Because I'm your star player. I'm tipped to be captain,' Troy said confidently, his heart racketing against his rib cage all the while.

'And you think that means I won't get rid of you?'

'Yeah, I do,'

The coach was silent and Troy knew he was mentally calculating his next move. How much did he have to lose?

'Fine,' the coach growled finally, 'You stay in wherever the hell it is you're from for longer. But I swear to God, Bolton if you're not back by…'

'I'll be back sir,' Troy promised, stepping back into role as loyal team member, 'As soon as I know she'll be okay,'

'Don't be wasting my time Bolton. Your ass is on the line,'

And with that, the line went dead. Troy blinked in surprise before returning the phone to the receiver. That went…unexpectedly well.

* * *

Sharpay had managed to slip away without anyone noticing. So far. She'd disappeared from the group while Troy loudly battled it out with his boss and they had all been engrossed. Except for Sharpay. She had a more pressing matter on hand. Something she hadn't done yet.  
Hospital noise filtered vaguely through her thoughts as wandered the halls. She had only just plucked up the courage to do this. She _needed _to do this.  
She approached her destination, sliding open the glass door and stepping into the room.

Silence pressed down on her from all sides and she was struck with the need to sing, or talk or _anything_ just to break the insufferable quiet. Gabriella lay in the middle of the room, looking serene and peaceful. If it weren't for the tubes from her arms and thick gauze bandage wrapped around her head she could have been asleep.

'Hey…' Sharpay said quietly, her voice sound odd to her own ears.

She lowered herself into the padded chair by Gabriella's side. She reached for her friend's hand, wrapping it tightly in her grasp.

'So uh…you should know that the boys out there are all fighting to save you,' Sharpay said, her words still hesitant and unsure; what did you say to a person in a coma?

'Troy and Chad had this total massive blowout. They were like punching the crap out of each other and stuff,' she told her, 'They were like wrestling on the ground and everything,'

She tried to envision Gabriella's reaction. Her worried gasp and frown, which would eventually, after everything had been sorted, turning into shy, mortified giggles. The knowledge that Gabriella would laugh made it a little easier for Sharpay to continue.

'So, you have to wake up,' Sharpay said, 'Before they do serious damage to their careers,'

She fell silent, allowing the hospital sounds to filter in again. Beeping, whirring, coughing, groaning.

'You're going to wake up right?' Sharpay asked, leaning forward to Gabriella, 'You're going to wake up and be okay? Because…you should have been in the car with _me _not with him. You shouldn't have been hit by that truck. So…if you're not going to wake up that would be on my conscience forever. You…you just have to wake up,'

When Gabriella didn't move, tears stung at Sharpay's eyes. It was almost as if she expected a miracle. She had hoped that her begging would rouse her from her coma. That she could do the impossible. Biting her lip, Sharpay muffled a cry into Gabriella's blankets.

She had never expected this to happen to her. Car crashes were something that happened to other people. Not her. She watched medical dramas, she watched the emotional scenes where people lay beside their loved ones as their last moments of life slipped away, begging them to come back. Those things happened on TV, they didn't happen to her.  
Stifling another sob Sharpay disentangled herself from Gabriella. She wanted to hug her, do anything to reassure her, her and Gabriella both, that everything would be okay. But she couldn't.

Instead, Sharpay squeezed her hand, wishing desperately there was something she could do.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered, before spiriting out of the room.

* * *

'_Graduateeeeeeddd!'_

_Gabriella laughed giddily at Chad's triumphant yell. She matched his enthusiasm him with an excited catcall, lifting her cup of beer to his in a toast._

_Around her, bodies grinded and bounced in their post-graduation party. Kelsi and Ryan were in a corner, their limbs intertwined as their lips fused. Ryan's hat had been removed and was now resting on top of Kelsi's mussed hair as they made out furiously. Everything they had been waiting for since prom._

_Chad had clambered onto one of the tables in Jason's basement, and was proudly yelling proclamations to anyone who would listen. Between mouthfuls of beer he spied his girlfriend, and yelled out to her._

'_Tay! Tay! Over here!'_

_Taylor, still bright eyed from all the crying they had been doing all afternoon, rolled her eyes, smiling at her boyfriend's antics._

'_Hi honey, what are you doing?'_

_Chad chuckled, extending his cup to her, 'Drinking,'_

'_Good. Good…'_

_Without warning Chad reached out for his girlfriend's hand, dragging her up onto the table with him. Taylor shrieked and squealed in protest until he had placed her feet on the surface._

'_Chad!' she scolded, 'This is inappropriate,'_

_Chad grinned wolfishly, 'Dance with me?'_

_Taylor glanced around the dark room, the walls shaking with the pounding baseline. Everyone around them was preoccupied in their own little world…_

'_Sure thing,'_

_Taylor met her best friend's eyes as her boyfriend's hands settled on her ass._

'_Tell this to _no one,_'_

_Gabriella giggled, 'Your secret is safe with me,'_

_In the dark room, coloured lights pulsed, providing temporary glimpses into the people around them._

'_There's my favourite girl!'_

_Gabriella spun around as a pair of strong, large hands curled around her waist. There was Troy, hair tousled, grinning from ear to ear. He was still half dressed in his graduation gear, his red robe sliding off his shoulder easily._

_She pressed herself onto tiptoes, meeting his lips in a soft tender kiss. She had meant what she said…_

'_Where have you been Wildcat?' she asked, coiling her arms around his neck, pressing herself to him affectionately._

_Troy looked up innocently, 'Nowhere… just…around,'_

'_Yeah right,' she laughed, poking him in the stomach, 'I'll believe that,'_

_A new song, slower this time, started up and people began to couple up. Troy lowered his head, kissing the outer shell of her ear._

'_Can I have this dance?'_

_His deep, rumbling whisper sent delicious shivers curling up her spine and she smiled._

'_You may,'_

_Gently he led her into the throng, his hands finding the curve in her waist. She pressed her head against his chest and they began to sway._

_From where she was, she could hear his heart thudding. That was where she belonged, in his heart, forever._

'_Hey…' he whispered suddenly, lowering his head again, 'About what you said before…'_

_She frowned, looking up to him. His cerulean eyes sparkled with earnest, filled with only pure adoration and affection._

'_What did I say?'_

'_Before…on the phone. Before prom,'_

_Gabriella's stomach wrenched. That. Oh…_

'_Yeah…uh Troy…'_

'_I never got my chance to say it back,'_

_For a moment her heart stopped. There he was, standing before her, the most perfect, stunning, earth shattering man that ever existed and he was saying all these beautiful things. To her._

'_I love you Gabi,' he murmured, 'I…I love you. We're eighteen, I get that. But, I love you. What we have is real,'_

_Tears pricked at her eyes and she only had one reply for him. Reaching up again, she kissed him, softly and gently, letting him know the one thing she knew was true._

'_I love you too…'_

_And with a flash, the darkness was back and the hazy, nostalgic memories of a seventeen year old girl were gone. And in their place was nothing. So close to the surface once again, she had come so close to fighting it. Before she had slunk back down…_

_Before the darkness had enveloped her again, she heard one more thing._

'I'm sorry,'

_And then there was silence._

* * *

When Taylor had gone to the bathroom, Chad excused himself from what little was left of the group. Zeke remained flipping through folders of his own working, trying to catch up on what he was missing out on while he waited. Troy picked absently at threads in his jeans, staring into oblivion mindlessly. Well if Bolton wasn't going to do it, he would.

As he made his way through the hospital, he passed Sharpay, pale and tearful walking back towards the waiting area.

'Are you okay?'

She took a shuddering breath, smiling weakly at him, 'Sure. I am.'

It dawned on Chad where she had been. She had been with Gabriella the whole time.

'Is it that bad?'

Sharpay shook her head, her ponytail swing madly. But even as she gestured no, she couldn't help the words slipping from her mouth, 'Yes,'

'Excuse me?'

'Yes,' Sharpay said softly, 'It's…it's hard. I…I just don't know what to say to her,'

Chad pulled Sharpay into a one-armed hug affectionately, 'I'm sure she appreciates all of this,'

'I hope so,'

Sharpay stepped away from him, 'Go, go see her. I'll go see everyone else,'

Chad nodded, 'Ok. Wish me luck,'

With that, the two parted and Chad moved forward towards Gabriella's room. Surely it couldn't be that bad. Surely that fact that Kelsi _and _Sharpay had broken down was just a coincidence. It couldn't be that bad.

He slid into the room carefully, sealing the door behind him. He surveyed Gabi, his stomach twisting and knotting.

'Uh…hi,' Chad said, shoving his hands in his pockets awkwardly.

He was hyperaware of his voice, loud and disruptive in the impenetrable silence.

Couldn't there be _some _other noise?

He pulled up the seat beside Gabriella's bed, reaching for her hand. He just didn't understand how things could have happened like this…

'What were you thinking Gabs?' he asked her softly, 'What on _earth_ were you thinking going out with him?'

Gabriella's hauntingly pale face swam before him and he shook his head.

'I just don't understand…' he murmured, 'He broke your heart. For years you were…broken. You never really got over what he did to you and now, you're going for _drinks _with him?'

He wished that Gabriella was there with them, awake, able to explain the mess that she had left behind. She needed to explain to her bewildered and lost friends exactly what was going through her mind.

But instead _they _were in the waiting room with Troy, unsure of what to say or do next. How did they end up here?

'I punched Troy,' Chad confessed, 'Everything just happened so fast and… I punched him,'

The grin that had spread across his face fell as Troy's battered face appeared in the forefront of his mind.

'I don't know why I did it,' Chad sighed, 'You were in a coma and Taylor was panicking and…'

He stopped, his sentence falling into oblivion. Gabriella would not be impressed. Gabriella would be freaking out, flustered and bothered, stern and disapproving. She would hate the fact that she was creating a rift between all her friends. She would _hate _this.

Guilt twisted at Chad's stomach and he shifted uncomfortably. He had done the wrong thing. He'd done exactly what Gabi _wouldn't _want.

Noisily, he pushed himself away from the bed, squeezing Gabriella's hand one last time before he stalked out of the room. He knew what he had to do now. He didn't like it. He didn't want to and he didn't know how to. But for Gabriella's sake, he _had _to.

* * *

Somehow they all wound up together again, sitting in the waiting room once more. From the tiny sliver of the world they could see from the window behind the nurse's station they could tell the sun was setting. Another day without Gabriella was drawing to a close. Sharpay had twisted herself into a yoga pose and was anxiously gnawing on a candy bar. Kelsi was braiding and un-braiding her hair and Taylor chewed on her nails. Chad thumbed through a copy of _Sport's Illustrated _and Zeke attempted to decipher the faded and dog-eared pages of old cooking magazines. And then there was Ryan, staring straight ahead, a serious, pensive look on his face. They were all doing the best they could to act like everything was normal. Everything _had _to be normal.

'It's been one day,' Ryan announced quietly to his group of friends.

The all looked up from what they were doing. They had all been thinking the same thing, mentally calculating every hour that had passed.

'She only has three, he murmured, '48 hours left.'

The group fell silent, exchanging grave expressions, trying to hide their fear and the silent, unthought belief that maybe…maybe she never would wake up.

Troy shook his head, standing up, 'I…I can't think about that,'

He walked away from the group, his mind swimming with all _the _worst case scenarios. His worst nightmares. What if he lost her?

No one bothered to call him back as he walked away and he was prepared to follow wherever his feet took him. He just needed to get away.

He wasn't surprised when he found himself standing outside Gabriella's room. Weariness pulled heavily at all his limbs and he trudged slowly to be with her. He knew throughout the day that everyone else had had their chance with her. Initially he had wanted to see her, then, there and in that very instant. But as he saw their faces, ashen and pale as they returned back to the group, he became petrified. What happened to Gabriella was partially his own doing.

Now he was done hiding. There was nothing more had could have done for her. Now he had to be there for her.

'Hey Gabs,' he murmured, moving to her side, 'How are you?'

He sat down, enveloping her tiny, cold, limp hand in his larger ones.

'They're going crazy out there without you,'

It didn't feel as strange as he thought it would. He had expected the silence to deter him, to make him clam up. But it didn't. It was just Gabi. She _needed _someone. And he was here now.

Eventually he fell silent and he lowered his head to rest on the free mattress beside her arm. He laid his cheek against the scratchy blankets, not for one second releasing her hand. He didn't know whether she could hear him, or whether she would _want _to hear him, but he knew that being there was all he could do in that moment.

The silence ringing between them, Troy kept a steadfast vigil throughout the night. He didn't get up, he didn't leave. That wasn't what she needed.

He was a basketball player, not a doctor. He didn't know much about medicine but he knew enough about being there. He couldn't fix her and he couldn't save her, but he could stay there by her side, making sure she knew that they needed her to come back to them.

He was doing the best he could.

* * *

_"I try to talk to you, but I don't know what to say. I am afraid you don't want me to say anything. So I don't. But inside of me there are words waiting to come out. And tell you how I feel-like how I miss you. And how I love you despite my broken heart. And how I need you in my life. And especially how much I want you. But those words may forever stay in my heart-locked inside. Sometimes I wonder if there are words locked inside you too... but I'll never know."_

* * *

**Ok, I know that some of you are kind of anxious to see a conclusion to Gabriella's storyline. But I have a little bit more character development that I feel needs to be completed before I can bring Gabriella's plot to a climax. (Don't forget, it could go either way!).  
Anywa, thank you in advance for you lovely reviews, they honestly make my day!**


	12. In The Early Morning Rays

**Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical or Disney Co. nor any products affiliated. This is a work of pure fiction for entertainment purposes. Yada, yada yada...**

**A/N: You have no idea how much I yawned through that scene with Sharpay and Zeke. I seriously couldn't stop haha. **

* * *

'Is he ever going to leave?' Sharpay whispered loudly.

'I have no idea!' Taylor whispered back, 'He's been in there for hours now!'

They were all gathered in the small room leading into Gabriella's, pressed up against the glass plate window.

They were spying shamelessly on Troy who had disappeared hours prior, murmuring only, 'I can't think about it,' as his excuse.  
Eventually Taylor had found him when she went to go see Gabriella. She found Troy, sitting silently at Gabriella's side, holding her hand. He barely moved, the only signs of life he showed were the constant rise and fall of his chest and his brief blinks. For the rest of the time he remained unmoving, clutching her tightly. He showed no signs of the desire to leave Gabriella, no an inclination that he had even _seen _them peering in at him.

'He's not being fair on the rest of us,' Sharpay whined, 'Taylor hasn't seen Gabriella yet!'

'Yes she has,' Ryan frowned, 'And she walked away,'

Sharpay whirled on her brother, 'That's not her fault!' she snapped, 'It's confronting! I don't see _you _in there with her!'

It had been so, so long since any of them had last slept. Exhaustion grated heavily on their nerves and they were all at the end of their tether, coiled to spring at any moment.  
Troy suddenly got up, releasing Gabriella's hand. He stalked out of the room, glaring at them.

He rolled his eyes as he stepped out of Gabriella's room. He shot a filthy look at the people gathered outside, 'Yes he is going to leave her room. _Now._ I'm not some science project that you can all stare at and talk about ok? I'm just visiting Gabriella like the rest of you did, but you didn't see me licking the glass!'

He growled loudly and stormed away from the group, murmuring, 'You're all _so _ridiculous. Why won't you just get it into your heads that I'm _not going anywhere!_'

With that he turned on his heel and stromed away. Once Troy's footsteps had faded into silence, Taylor clicked her tongue, 'We should _all _probably get out of here,'

'But what about…'

Chad shook his head, 'She'll be okay. We'll take it in turns. While some are sleeping, someone will stay with her,'

'I'll go first,' Ryan volunteered, 'I'll survive a few more hours with sleep,'

Taylor nodded, looking around at the group, 'Is everyone ok with that?'

She met the eyes of seven other, willing, agreeing people and she smiled lightly.

'Ok, I'll take over from Ryan and then…'

'I'll go,' Zeke offered, 'And then whoever,'

The all nodded in unanimous agreement, already beginning to separate subtly, ready to go their own ways.

'I'll see you in an hour Ry,' Taylor announced, as she walked away, hand in hand with Chad.

Slowly they all dissipated, mumbling excuses or explanations to where they could be found leaving Ryan and Kelsi, standing alone in the quiet room.

'Will you be okay?' she questioned, reaching out for both of his hands.

'Yeah,' Ryan nodded bravely, 'Sure. Gabi won't bother me right?'

Kelsi cracked a weak smile, shaking her head, 'That was a bad joke,'

Ryan smiled sheepishly, 'It was wasn't it?'

Kelsi began nodding, only to be stopped by a wide yawn. Ryan immediately latched onto that.

'Go get some sleep,' he ordered softly, 'I'll hang out with Gabs,'

Kelsi searched her husband's face earnestly, scouring for the slightest hint that he needed her to stay. When she saw no traces she caved, allowing her exhaustion to win this battle.

'Ok,' she murmured, standing up on tiptoes to offer him a chaste kiss, 'I love you,'

Ryan smiled, 'I love you too. Sleep well,'

'I will,'

Reluctantly, she released his hand, taking a few steps away.

'I'll come find you when Taylor takes over,' he called after his wife.

She paused, turning her head to look over her shoulder and smiled again, 'I'll be waiting!'

And with that she padded away. And then there was one.

Ryan turned to Gabriella's room, stepping inside. Immediately he took up post in the chair beside her bed. He wrapped his hand around her frail arm briefly, squeezing it affectionately, 'I'm here Gabs,' he announced to the silence.

He then let go and leant back in the chair, pulling out a rumpled script out of his bag. He leant back in the uncomfortable chair and began to scan it again, always keeping half an eye on the perpetually bleeping machines. Just in case.  
He settled in, attempting in vain to get comfortable. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sharpay shifted uncomfortably on her makeshift bed. She had taken refuge in the waiting room again, rearranging a handful of chairs until they formed some sort of resemblance to a bed. She laid herself out across them, folding her sweater up for a pillow. Nurses had offered her a blanket that were obviously standard issue as they were as scratchy and uncomfortable as the ones on Gabriella's bed.  
This was not the life Sharpay Evans was used to. Sharpay Evans slept on a cushy, uber-expensive mattress with magenta silk sheets. Sharpay Evans did _not _live this way.  
She groaned, rolling to her other side for what felt like the hundredth time. She could _not _sleep.  
A few feet away Zeke snored loudly, laying spread-eagled on his back, his mouth hanging open. He had this all under control. This situation wasn't freaking him out, he could take it all in his stride. Sharpay couldn't believe how much she envied that.  
Zeke had barely left her side at all since he had arrived at the hospital. He had held her, cradling her against his chest, rocking her until she stopped crying. He had clutched her hand and whispered soft, gentle things in her ear. He had been there for her.  
And she had loved the attention. She was a woman after all, she wasn't going to deny that his attention had helped, hadn't made her feel a little better. But she was confused.  
It had been _years _since she had seen him for more than an hour or two at a time. Of course there had been relatively frequent group emails, forwarded to every single one of her friends and there had been their brief encounter at Kelsi and Ryan's wedding where he was her designated groomsmen and she spent the night snapping at him as he stepped on her toes while they danced. Occasionally they had swapped IM's in the rare occasion that they were both online at the same time, and of course they had sent each other Christmas card but…that had been it.  
There had been no hugs, no hand holding, no contact at all. And then suddenly…this.

Was he only doing this because of Gabriella? Would he stop as soon as Gabi had woken up? What were his intentions? And did Sharpay really want it all to stop?  
She snorted, rolling back onto her side. She wanted to slap him awake, demand that he answer all her questions. _What did he want!  
_Instead she squeezed her eyes shut, willing sleep to come. She needed sleep. Sleep was good. Sleep was good. Sleep was…

'Shar?'

Sharpay turned her head to see Zeke, bleary eyed and squinty, staring at her from his bank of chairs.

'Yeah?' she murmured quietly.

'Why are you still awake? You should get some rest,' he advised.

Sharpay bit her lip, 'I can't sleep. I…I can't stop thinking,'

Zeke nodded, still half asleep. He got himself to his feet with a groan and picked up the first chair he had been sleeping on. Easily he carried it over to where Sharpay had set her own chairs up.

'What are you…' Sharpay trailed off.

Zeke ignored her, traipsing back over to the other chairs, plucking two more up off the ground and carrying them back to her.

Finally he straightened the chairs before flopping down into the, yawning. He shifted around until all his gangly limbs were covered by the scratchy blanket and his head was resting on his own jacket. He then reached out for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

'Night Shar,' he murmured, sleep already creeping in on his voice, 'Sleep well,'

'Ok,' she replied, her limbs suddenly becoming heavy and cumbersome, 'Night,'

Before Sharpay's head had even hit her sweater she was asleep. She allowed exhaustion to sweep her away into a land where she would wake up and the whole world would be a better place.

* * *

Kelsi curled herself into a tight ball, trying to ignore the sounds swirling around her. The hospital was a relatively silent place at night and still…the tiniest whisper of noise jerked her from the odd twilight zone between waking and sleeping.  
She had located herself a gurney in a dark, abandoned corridor, clothed only in crinkly blue paper sheets. Every time she shifted the bed would crackle beneath her and she would be wide awake.  
Subconsciously her hands floated down to her midriff to rest on her still-flat stomach. Growing inside of her, just beneath where her hands lay was her child. _Her_ baby. Her own flesh and blood, a very real part of her.

'It'll all be okay won't it?' Kelsi asked of the silence, talking both to herself and to her baby, 'We'll be okay. You, me, Gabriella…_everyone_,'

Kelsi felt the strangest connection with the baby growing inside her. It couldn't be real, this "baby" was barely the size of a peanut and still…she took solace in the companionship. She really _wasn't_ alone.  
Slowly her tense limbs uncoiled and she rolled to her side, allowing herself to succumb to sleep. Everything else didn't matter, Gabriella would be fine and the world would be righted again. All because she had faith, she had something to believe in.

* * *

'I gotta go take over from Ryan,' Taylor whispered softly, pressing a chaste kiss to her fiance's head.

Chad mumbled something incoherently, barely even surfacing long enough to acknowledge her. Taylor smiled affectionately, pausing a moment to look at him. His forehead was creased, wrinkled in the most endearing way, so uncharacteristically serious in sleep. A dark, rogue curl fell across his face and his lips were pursed. Shadowy rings, leftover from exhaustion and concern for Gabriella, the stress of being in charge for once pulling heavily at all his features.

Taylor smiled softly, smoothing the skin of his forehead lovingly, before dropping another kiss there.

'Sleep well,' she murmured, 'I love you,'

With that she swung herself off the tiny twin mattress she had been sharing with him, it creaking noisily beneath her as she moved.

Quietly she shuffled from the room, turning only briefly to look at him once again. Chad had shifted, his frown deepening as he searched the sheets for her absent form. His hands connected with her discarded pillow and he pulled it into his chest. His face relaxed marginally and he rolled over, slipping into slumber once more. Taylor let herself out of the room the slightest of smiles on her face.  
From where she was, it was only a few steps to Gabriella's room. She quickly paced down the hall, taking a sharp turn into the room that was becoming increasingly familiar. She slid open the glass door leading into Gabriella's room and let herself in.  
Ryan was slumped over a manuscript, one hand resting on Gabriella's bed, the other thumbing through the worn and tattered pages. His eyelids drooped heavily and he bright eyes were clouded.

'Hey,' Taylor said softly.

Instantly Ryan startled, snapping to look at her. Blearily he blinked, before his eyes focused and he really looked at her.

'What…' he mumbled, disorientation evident in his voice, 'What's…'

'I'll take over Ry,' Taylor offered, 'Go get some sleep,'

Ryan pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes and he blinked again. Finally he shook his head, groaning as he got to his feet.  
That wasn't like Ryan. Of their entire singing, dancing, all-star group, Ryan had always been the most agile. Ryan was lithe, graceful and never ever groaned while getting up like the rest of them had been known to.

'Are you okay?' Taylor frowned.

Ryan winced, 'Nothing a decent chair wouldn't sort out. Good luck,'

Taylor scoffed, 'Thanks,'

With that, Ryan passed her, briefly brushing her arm as he did so.

'Zeke should be in soon,'

Taylor nodded in his direction, flopping down in the seat as he disappeared.

'Hey Gabi,' she sighed, automatically reaching for her hand.

Her heart fluttered nervously as she curled her hand around Gabriella's limp, cool fingers. _Everything was fine, everything was fine.  
_She had freaked out last time, she hadn't been able to handle it. But now… now she had to stand up, grow up and face the music. Gabriella was in hospital and Gabriella needed her.  
She didn't know how to say anything to her, how to phrase something to someone who wouldn't even reply.

'We're all worried about you,' Taylor said, her own voice sounding odd to her ears, 'I really, really want you to wake up,'

Taylor leant her head a little closer, 'So here's the thing Gabi, you're my best friend. We've seen each other through…lunkhead basketball men and… crushes and first boyfriends…and…'

She shook her head furtively, trying to dissipate the gathering tears in her eyes, 'You are the only reason that I'm not…alone and single, living out an empty life in front of my computer. You came to school, and you fell in love with Troy. That in turn, made Chad fall in love with me. And you?'

She sighed, squeezing Gabriella's hand tightly, 'You're my sister Gabs. I _need _you. I can't make it through a wedding and…and babies and a lifetime, if I don't have you too. And _you _deserve all of that. You deserve your bright and shiny, baby-filled, happily ever after, whomever that may be with. I can't live the dream if you're not living it with me,'

Taylor sniffled, releasing Gabriella's hand to scrub at her cheek, slick with tears. She had said all she had needed to say.

She leant forward again, capturing her friend's hand again, 'So…I hope that…that you understand that. I hope…I hope I can give you just a reason to stay,'

Gently she leant back, still hiccuping, never letting go of her tight grip on her hand, 'That's all I have to say,'

Quietly she relaxed, pulling out a tattered novel she had found in the waiting room. Something was better than nothing.

She drew her knees up to her chest, cracking the musty book open to the first page, 'Gabi, I have a story for you…'

* * *

'_So what do you think of my apartment?' Troy laughed, 'Simple home for two?'_

_Gabriella sat up in bed, adjusting his shirt which was sliding off her shoulder, 'For two?'_

_He smiled, 'Well…I hope that one day… for two?'_

'_Are you asking me to move in with you?' she giggled, 'Because that's an interesting way of going about it,'_

'_Well…really, I was actually asking something a little more important,'_

_Gabriella frowned at her boyfriend again, standing in front of her, clad in flannel pyjama bottoms, bare chested and slightly rumpled._

'_What are you saying Troy?' _

_The blonde boy crossed the room, approaching her gently, coming to stand beside the bed. He reached out, stroking her hair affectionately. _

'_I'm saying that I love you Gabi,'_

'_I love you too Troy…' she replied hesitantly, confused by his strange behaviour, 'You know that,'_

_He released her hair, turning to his nightstand, rooting through it. Moments later his hand reappeared clutching a small velvet box.  
__Gabriella couldn't bite back the gasp that escaped her lips. Surely he couldn't…  
__Never breaking eye contact with her, his bright eyes hopeful and loving, he lowered himself to one knee._

'_Gabi…' he began, extending the box, his hands shaking, 'Will…'_

'_God, Troy!' she cried, 'Stop!'_

_He ceased his movement, retracting the box closer to his chest as if she had slapped him._

'_Gabi?'_

'_God, Troy, I'm only nineteen!' she cried, 'I… how can I get married?'_

'_It's easy,' he replied earnestly, 'I love you, you love me. We want to be together for the rest of our lives. What does a number like age matter?'_

_Gabriella bit her lip to prevent her tears from spilling over. _

'_Seriously Gabi. We've talked about this already. We have a future planned, a wedding, careers, babies… a future Gabi!'_

'_But does that mean that future has to start now?' she cried._

'_Do you _not _want to spend the rest of your life with me?'_

'_Of course I do! Of course I do! I want nothing more than to marry you!'_

'_Then say yes!' he implored, 'I'm not saying we have to get married tomorrow! I'm saying that I love you, and I want you to wear my ring. I want to be the one to protect you all the time. I want to love you, that's all I'm asking for,'_

_Who was she to argue with such heartfelt passion? Especially when he was making a speech like that._

_She clapped her hands over her mouth, 'Show me the ring again,'_

_A bright, boyish smile broke on Troy's lips and he extended the ring to her again, snapping the box open._

_Before her, glistened a simple, modest diamond ring. A symbol of her future with Troy. And she'd never wanted anything so badly._

'_So,' he grinned, 'Let me try again. Gabriella Montez, will you _please _do me the honour of becoming my wife?'_

_The first tear spilled as an elated giggled lifted from her chest, 'Yes! Of course yes!'_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

_Troy's ecstatic, handsome face faded from view and Gabriella was met with grim reality. Blackness. _

_She tried to call out. Someone had to hear her. _Please! Help me!

_But there was nothing and no one to help. She was alone._

* * *

Ryan weaved his way through the dark, silent halls, his skin prickling with discomfort. There was something uneasy and deathly about hospitals that _always _made his skin crawl. Good things rarely happened in hospitals. He just hoped this time would prove him wrong.  
Sitting with Gabriella had been surreal. Thumbing through his manuscript he ad found himself lifting his head to look up at her every few minutes. It was like he had subconsciously hoped that every time something, _something_ would have changed and given them the slightest bit of hope. And still there was nothing.  
He emerged into the waiting room, still silent and wary. A sleepy-eyed night nurse was sitting in front of her computer, the screen casting an odd bluish glow on her face.  
His eyes landed on the bank of chairs where they had taken up residence now for so long. It was as though they were they only people in the hospital and claimed that waiting area as their own. Sharpay's purse, spilling with cosmetics and magazines was on the floor, Chad's jacket was strung across the back of a chair, Kelsi's sheet music was strewn across two seats. They had left their mark everywhere.

And there, in the centre of it all was Sharpay, rolled onto her side, her fairytale blonde hair spread out in a halo around her. Her arm was draped across her body, her hand dangling inches short of Zeke's who was fast asleep also. It was glaringly obvious to Ryan that they had fallen asleep holding hands. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Sharpay was a big girl, he had stopped being there to protect her against every little thing years ago, but it still made him uneasy.  
Sharpay shifted in her sleep and her fingers reconnected with Zeke's. Immediately she smiled softly and they laced their hands together again. Ryan shook his head, whatever it was they had, however long it was last, it was a good thing and he wasn't going to stop her.

He broke out of his contemplation and began to move away from the waiting room. He really wanted to find his wife. He paced through the quiet corridors, navigating his way through the dank corridors Kelsi had decided to call home that night. Ryan found her, curled up on a gurney, wearing his discarded sweater. He smiled softly, he was so damn lucky.

Gently, he eased himself up onto the bed beside her, wincing as it squeaked. Kelsi shifted, murmuring vaguely as he joined her, winding himself around her. Their bodies shifted naturally to resume their normal position that they slept in almost every night. He slung an arm across her tiny waist, letting the other one settle on her bent knee. She shifted back, still asleep, pressing her back tightly against his chest. It was times like these that he was always struck by the fact that they fit so perfectly together, like pieces of a puzzle, like on some higher level that they'd never understand, they were truly made for one another. He buried his face in amongst her hair, inhaling deeply, lulled instantly by her freesia-soap-and-musty-music-room smell.

Kelsi sighed sleepily and he allowed himself to drop his heavy eyelids shut. He had earned sleep.  
Sleep came easily to Ryan, and just before he slipped off the verge of consciousness he smiled. In different beds, in different _continents, _even under the worst of circumstances, there were little things that would never change.

* * *

When Chad woke again, Taylor was back in his arms. Her face was pressed up against his chest and their legs were tangled intimately. His mind had been racing all night, unable to stray from the one goal he needed to achieve. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about it and he knew he wouldn't until he had done what he needed to do.  
He wanted to do it now, get it out of the way, ripping off the bandaid. But to do that…  
He looked down at Taylor. It was impossible to get out of the bed without waking her. The tight, inseparable nature of their pose made it a superhuman feet to untangle all her limbs from his without rousing her from her slumber.  
And she looked so damn peaceful. For the first time in days her face was relaxed, her mouth pouted adorably and her eyelids fallen closed softly. He couldn't wake her.

'Chad…'

He already had.

Taylor stirred, her eyelids fluttered, revealing rich dark chocolate filled with love and concern.

'Hey,' he murmured back, 'Sorry I woke you,'

She yawned, rubbing her eyes softly, 'It's…it's no big deal. I was awake anyway,'

Chad sat up on the bunk bed, pulling Taylor onto his lap, 'How was Gabriella?'

She shook her head, fiddling with the loose ponytail tied at the nape of her neck, 'It was…hard,'

He nodded, stroking the back of her palm with his thumb tenderly, 'I wasn't prepared for it,'

'I read to her,' Taylor confessed in a quiet voice, 'I didn't know what else to say…I thought she'd like that,'

Chad smiled, always struck by the moments of unfailing care for Gabriella.

'She _would _like that. I'm sure she appreciates it,'

Taylor smiled proudly, twisting her head to look at him. Her smile became melancholic, her eyes soft and distant.

'Do you really think she can hear us?'

Chad grimaced, shrugging with a sigh, 'I don't know. I'd like to think so,'

'Me too,' she murmured softly, 'That maybe we can say something that will make her want to say. Maybe, lying in that hospital bed she'll know that we all love her and that she's…'

'Not alone,' Chad finished.

'Yeah…'

They lapsed into silence, Chad still dragging the pad of his thumb against the top of her hand lovingly.

'Why are you up so early?' she asked suddenly, turning to look at him again.

'What do you mean?'

'It's 4am,' Taylor said, quirking an eyebrow, 'I'm lucky to get you out of bed at 8 o'clock on a good day,'

Chad scratched his chin uncomfortably, 'I was just thinking,'

'About what?' she frowned.

He shook his head, 'Just…stuff,'

She fixed him with a condescending look, 'Wasn't it you who gave me the lecture about not shutting you out? Sharing everything with one another?'

'Yeah but…'

'But nothing, this is no different. What's on your mind?'

He winced, raking his hand over his face, 'Ok. I'm gonna tell you this and you're going to think it's a bad idea okay but…I can't stop thinking about it,'

'Come on,' she coerced, 'Tell me about it,'

'Fine,' he sighed, patting a steady rhythm on her denim-clad knee, 'Here's the thing… I think I should talk to Troy,'

He braced himself, waiting for the explosion, the standard hiss that came after every time Troy's name was mentioned, the lengthy lecture about how bad an idea it was.

But nothing came.

'Huh…' she mused thoughtfully, 'I…I hadn't thought of that,'

'What?' Chad asked, dumbfounded.

'It hadn't even crossed my mind to do that, but… it's not a bad idea?'

Chad didn't think his jaw could slacken any more. His uptight, overprotective fiancée was agreeing to talking with Troy. What was this world coming to?

'But what about…'

She smiled gently, pensiveness obvious in her eyes, 'I think you should talk to Troy,' she said, 'He's obviously hurting as much as we are,'

Chad was blown away. He could barely believe the words coming out of her mouth.

'You really think so?'

'Sure,'

Her eyes were soft and sad as she cocked her head to contemplate him, 'He was one of our best friends for…ever,'

'Yeah and he was public enemy number one for half a decade now!' Chad protested.

She shook her head, 'You guys always used to talk about…_your future_ and all that stuff. He'd asked you to be best man at his wedding,'

'A wedding that never happened…'

'Sure, he broke Gabi's heart,' Taylor sighed, 'But, that's not really our business. We shouldn't take sides. That was between him and Gabi. They both need our help now, and it's our job to give it to them,'

Chad nodded, squeezing Taylor's hand tightly, 'So, I should go see him?'

'Sure,'

Carefully, Chad lifted Taylor off his lap, placing her primly back on the crinkly mattress.

He stood up, groaning as he straightened the kinks out of his back. He then bent back down to capture Taylor's lips in a chaste kiss.

'Catch up on some sleep,' he ordered gently, 'I'll come and see you before I go to Gabi,'

'Ok, good luck,' she called.

With her blessing, Chad moved away from her, stepping into the rousing hospital. It was early morning, and some life was being injected back into the hospital. A new shift of nurses were appearing, jogging around, adjusting their scrubs.

Now all he needed to do was find Troy.

He knew he couldn't go in there cold turkey, he needed something to say, something to do. A peace offering.

_He was only doing this for Gabi_, he echoed to himself, _only for Gabi._

He was at a loss. He _couldn't _be feeling remorse for punching Troy. He _couldn't _be going to talk to him. Anyone would remember his passionate rants for months as he camped out at Gabriella's apartment, watching her stumble pass him, her eyes hollow and blank, walking into her bedroom without so much as looking at him. He had offered numerous fuelled tirades as he graphically described exactly what he was going to say to Bolton if he ever saw him again. And maybe he would have…

If it hadn't been like this.

And there he was. Back in a full circle. He was talking to Bolton. But first he had to find him…

Chad emerged in the lobby, searching around for a the faintest sign of Troy. He surely wouldn't stray far from Gabriella. No amount of years could alter his protectiveness…right?

His eyes landed on a woman, selling coffee from a cart by the front door. That would make a good peace offering.

'Two coffees,' he ordered, after approaching the woman.

'Sure thing sugar,' she crooned, busying herself with their cups, 'Can I get you anything else?'

Chad sook his head firmly, his mind far away from the conversation at hand. He couldn't help the nervous jitters shivering through his body. Now he had a peace offering, what did he say? _Yeah…sorry about that tackling you to the ground thing. I'm over it now._

Chad accepted the coffees gratefully, their warmth radiating through the thin paper cups. Now…onto Troy.

He wandered Gabriella's floor for what felt like hours. Troy wasn't in the tunnels, he wasn't in the waiting room, he wasn't in the on-call rooms…he was nowhere to be found.

How was he supposed to make nice if he couldn't even find him?

Chad shuffled along the still, relatively dim corridor. He had seen interns and doctors, and even Kelsi and Ryan fast asleep together. He was beginning to wonder with he was walking in circles. Sick of pacing, Chad stopping, leaning up against the wall. This was getting ridiculous.

He looked down at their coffee cups. Steam was still rising from them in delicate swirls, despite the amount of time Chad had been walking. He dropped his head back against the wall behind him. What did he do now?

And then he saw it. A door, metal, non-descript and unlabelled. But there was no doubting where it lead.

Chad frowned. Surely, after all these years, Bolton would have kicked that habit. Surely Hollywood would have gone to his head, and he wouldn't be the same kid he was in high school.

He shook his head. This was unbelievable. He approached the door, pulling it open with a groan.

As he clambered up the metal stairs, the clanged noisily beneath his feet, echoing throughout the empty stairwell. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this before.

He reached the top and met another heavy door. He swung it open, and stepped out onto the roof.

At quarter to five in the morning, the air was crisp and filled Chad's lungs sharply. There, at the edge of the roof was Troy, leaning against the railings, looking out over the city.

'Hey,' Chad called.

His voice rang clearly in the open air and instantly Troy turned his head. His hair was rumpled and his skin was pasty and pale.

'Uh…hey,' Troy replied hoarsely.

Awkwardly, Chad crossed the rooftop, his footsteps clicking beneath him. _What did he say next?_

'I got this for you,' he said, thrusting the paper cup out in front of him.

'Thanks,'

Troy's hand twitched and he hesitated reaching for the cup.

Chad rolled his eyes, 'I didn't poison it. It's just coffee,'

Troy accepted the cup, drawing it to his lips, 'Thanks,'

Chad sipped from his own, grateful for the warm liquid. Perfect.

He leant up against the railing beside Troy, both staring out in silence. The city of Albuquerque was just waking up beneath him. People everywhere were starting a brand new day, while they stayed exactly where they were; in the odd, limbo, twilight zone where all that changed were the nurses and doctors coming in and out every day.

'So…uh… how's that bruise doing?' Chad asked casually, desperate to break the silence.

Troy turned to Chad, quirking an eyebrow curiously. He touched his bruised jaw gingerly and shrugged noncommittally, 'Fine,'

He then glanced down at Chad's hand, swathed tightly in bandages, 'Are you gonna be able to play basketball with that hand?'

Chad lifted it up before him, flexing his hand curiously, 'Yeah…just a few bruises and sore joints…nothing the summer won't fix,'

Troy nodded silently and turned to look back out at the view.

Chad didn't know what to say now. There were so many things he _could _say but none that he knew how to. Why did he leave? Why didn't he bother to explain to them?

'How's Gabriella?' Troy asked suddenly, a little more life appearing in his eyes. The faintest glimmer of hope had appeared and Chad hated to be the one to take it away.

'No change,' Chad shook his head furtively, 'Tay was with her for a good part of the night and…'

'Nothing,' Troy finished.

Troy then heaved a sigh morosely, 'It's just so hard to understand…we were having drinks and we were talking. We'd almost moved past the whole… "awkward ex thing" and then we were driving home, talking about music and tabloids and…and then,'

He pressed the heel of his palms into his eye sockets, shaking his head furiously, 'I…I just don't know how it happened,'

Chad watched Troy carefully. It was hard to tell if he was even speaking to Chad anymore or just musing his own thoughts out loud.

'So…it was just drinks?' he asked curiously, 'Nothing more?'

Troy didn't even bother to make eye contact, looking down at the ground, so far below him sombrely, 'No. Just drinks. I texted her. She texted back…we met for drinks. And now she's in a coma,'

'When have you got to go back to California?' Chad asked.

It was their first acknowledgment of the fact that Troy led a separate life. That despite the twilight zone that they were currently in, _eventually_ time would have to start moving again.

Troy shrugged vaguely, 'Don't know,'

Chad could almost hear the "_don't care"_ in Troy's mind.

'I heard you talked to your boss,'

'Yeah…he's a bastard. He wanted me to come…to LA at the end of the week,'

Chad gave a low whistle, 'That's rough man,'

'I'm not going,' Troy said quietly, 'There's no way in hell I'm going. Not with Gabi like this,'

'Are you gonna leave when she wakes up?'

Troy shook his head again, 'Dunno. I don't know what to think…everything is just so screwed up at the moment,'

'Do you know how long you're going to be around for?'

Troy turned to Chad, fixing him with a piercing blue stare. Chad felt pinned to the railing and was unable to tear his eyes away from the man who used to be his best friend.

'A while,'

Troy then turned back to the railing, sipping deeply from his coffee. Chad joined him again and as their shoulder's bumped briefly, it almost felt like old times.

That was all they needed to say. For now.

There was no need to apologize and right now Chad didn't need to why he left without saying goodbye. Troy was here for a while. And that was what mattered.

As both men watched the first rays of sun beginning to dust the streets of Albuquerque Chad wondered whether today would be a better day.

* * *

_It's a brand new day  
The sun is shining  
It's a brand new day  
For the first time in such a long long time  
I know, I'll be ok_

* * *

**Ok… I'm done with character development for now. Everyone's in a good place now, don't you think? So… something's going to happen next chapter (does the fact that it's chapter ****13**** mean anything?). I'll have it up soon!  
Please do review, it makies the whole process a little easier. At the moment life is a little crazy (I have assignments coming out of my ears!) but four weeks time everything will be peachy! (I'm counting down the days). Thanks for all your support!**


	13. Time Is Running Out

No one could deny their surprise when they saw Troy and Chad emerge into the waiting room together. They weren't saying anything but nor were they punching. They walked alongside one another, their steps in synch, both staring at the ground. There was no need for words from either of them, rather they took solace in the fact that they had someone there with them.

'Hey,' Taylor called out as they neared the gathered group.

Chad looked up, offering a half smile when he saw his fiancée. She opened his arms to him, offering him a hug.

'Hey,' he replied, stepping into her warm embrace.

He curled an arm around her waist, pressing a fond kiss to the top of her head.

'We'll talk later?' she whispered into his chest.

'Yeah,'

When he pulled away, Chad glanced at his watch, 'Oh, shit. I gotta go take over from Kelsi,'

Taylor smiled at him, 'Do you want me to get you anything for breakfast?'

'Nah, I'll be good. I'll get something when I'm done,'

He jogged away from them all with the wave of his hand, leaving the group in silence.

Everyone turned to Troy, staring at him curiously. He shoved his hands in his pockets, blinking owlishly under all the unwanted attention.

'I have sleep to catch up on,' Zeke mumbled, rubbing his eyes furiously, 'And work. Lots and lots of work.'

Taylor nodded, patting Zeke's arm sympathetically, 'Go home. We've got it. We'll call you if anything changes,'

He wandered over to Sharpay, pulling her into a one armed hug, 'You gonna be okay?'

Ryan cleared his throat, drawing everyone else's attention back to him, 'I'm going to run home too and get Kels some clean clothes,'

Taylor nodded, 'Ok, go ahead. I'll see you later,'

Ryan smiled softly, 'Tell Kels where I am ok?'

'Sure thing,' Taylor replied.

Ryan moved off and Sharpay, freed by Zeke, returned to Taylor and Troy.

'I'm _starving,_' she announced, 'We should go get breakfast,'

'I agree,' Taylor said, 'Let's head to the cafeteria,'

Taylor and Sharpay fell into step, shuffling away from Troy murmuring softly. They got halfway to the door before Taylor turned around, a frown pulling at her brow.

'Aren't you coming?' she asked Troy blatantly.

Troy blinked. That he hadn't expected.

'Excuse me?'

'I said, aren't you coming? Don't you want breakfast this morning?'

Troy hadn't even considered that he was invited but nor was he inclined to eat breakfast at the moment.

'No. Thanks anyway but…I think I'll stay here and wait,'

Sharpay rolled her eyes, 'We've already had this conversation, waiting here won't do you any good. Neither will starving yourself as a protest to her being in a coma. You won't do her much good if _you're _in the hospital when she wakes up,'

'So you don't mind…'

'Come on,' Sharpay waved her hand impatiently, 'Come eat breakfast already,'

Hesitantly Troy stumbled after them, still unsure on his feet. Were they going to drag him out into the parking lot and kill him? Were they going to secretly sabotage his breakfast?

Easily he fell into step with the two tiny women. They walked through the halls of the hospital, the only sounds were the scuffing of their Ugg boots on the linoleum floor.

'Who's going next with Gabs?' Taylor asked curiously.

'I think I am,' Sharpay shrugged, 'There's really only me and Troy left,'

'So then we'll just start again?'

'Sounds good,' Sharpay replied, noncommittally, 'Whatever,'

Troy reached the cafeteria door first, pulling it open to allow the women in before him. Sharpay smirked as she passed him and Taylor merely rolled her eyes. Without hesitation they strutted up to the counter and began to ponder their breakfast choices.

Troy followed them warily, surveying the cafeteria around him. It was almost empty, except for the few people, obviously family's of other patients who were all crowded around one table, falling asleep in their cereal.

Quickly, Troy hastened to join the girls in the non-existent queue. Sharpay was propped up against the metal bench, peering in at the assortment of waffles kept under warm halogen lights. Her nose was wrinkled in distaste and she scoffed derisively, moving down the line.

Taylor rolled her eyes at the melodramatic blonde and set about placing her own order. She then turned to Troy, 'Are you going to order? Blondie here's going to take a lifetime so, you're not gonna wanna wait for her,'

Troy cracked a shadow of a smile at Sharpay's expense. The blonde was still further down the line, criticizing their toast options. It almost felt a little like high school.

'Yeah…that wouldn't be such a bad idea,' he murmured.

Eventually they had all ordered and secured a table in the cafeteria. Together in silence, they picked uneasily at their meals. Ever since the accident, food had been the last thing on his mind and even now it felt bizarre putting food in his mouth. It didn't seem right.

Sharpay picked unhappily at her blueberry muffin that she had eventually decided upon with a low-fat vanilla yoghurt after much argument with one of the women working in the cafeteria. She pouted and slumped over the table. This crash was taking a toll on even the bubbliest and perkiest of people.

Troy poked at his limp bacon with his fork. This _wasn't _what he had ordered. It was possibly even more distasteful than he could have imagined.  
The women sat on the opposite side of the table to him, their bodies close, their hands almost touching. Even as friends, they had an intimacy with one another that Troy would never get back with any of them. There had been too much time.

'Tell me about her,' Troy said suddenly, laying down his plastic cutlery.

Taylor looked up, frowning curiously, 'What?'

'Gabriella, tell me about her,'

It had been playing on his mind from the first time he had walked into her room. The girl before him was a stranger. He didn't know _anything _about her. He hated that. He had spent most of the night in the balmy, dark air, mulling it over. _He didn't know her. He didn't know her. He didn't know her.  
_It saddened him that after everything they had done together they had been set back at square one. All the tears and laughter, and goodbyes and…_everything_. High school, college, engagement. And still, they had no common ground anymore.

Taylor's frown deepened and she set down her coffee cup, 'What do you want to know?'

Troy shrugged, 'I don't know…_everything,'_

Taylor let a long breath pass through her lips noisily, shaking her head, 'Wow…that's a broad topic,'

'Just…let me know who she is now. I don't know her anymore,'

Taylor looked as if she was on the verge of giving him a smart, sharp answer in return but thought the better of it.

Instead she leant forward on her elbows, shoving her bagel aside, resting her face in her palm.

'Gabi…Gabi…' she mused thoughtfully, 'Well… you know that she lives in New York now,'

'Yeah. When did she move?' Troy shot back instantly.

'After college. She stuck it out at Stanford until the end of her fourth year and then we begged her to move to New York,'

'Oh…'

'Then she started going to NYU for law school,'

'Does she like her professors?'

Taylor rolled her eyes, 'Bolton, this isn't the Spanish Inquisition. I'm sharing knowledge that I don't _have _to share with you. Enough with the interrogation,'

Troy bowed his head, humbled into silence, 'Sorry…'

'Much better. Uh…she _loves _school but she's always busy. I'm not entirely sure if she sleeps anymore,'

'That sounds about right,' Sharpay scoffed, 'I stayed at her place last Christmas, just so I didn't have to be with kissy-kissy over there,' she jerked her thumb towards Taylor, 'And anyway, I think once I woke up in the middle of the night and she was just sitting their, by her window with her laptop,'

'Uh, what else?' Taylor questioned.

'What about Miles?' Sharpay asked Taylor, 'Tell him about Miles,'

Troy's stomach flipped. Miles. That was a guy's name. That was an ex-boyfriend. Maybe he wasn't ready for this…

'She has a cat,' Taylor smiled faintly, 'Miles. He's like her new best friend,'

Troy couldn't help the shadow of a smile that grew on his face. He could see Gabi with a cat, carting it around, doting on it, spending the late nights watching TV with him on her lap. The fact that she wasn't alone comforted Troy a little.

'What neighbourhood does she live in?'

'East Side,' Taylor answered immediately, 'She's only about two blocks from Chad and I.'

She also had someone close by to protect her. That too was comforting.

'Uh…what else. She…she works at the library when she's not studying…she has rekindled her thing for mocha lattes… she still loves all those classic romance novels and sweatpants,'

Troy didn't want to ask the next question. But he couldn't stop it. He _needed _to know.

'Boyfriends?'

'None currently. There have been some, brief and sparing in the past. They've all been good to her but…they never lasted more than a few months at a time,'

'Closest she ever came to serious again was…Damien,' Sharpay supplied, 'But he had to move to Australia about six months after they met and…Gabriella just didn't go with him,'

Troy let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. She had been treated right. For so long it had been his duty and the knowledge that he handed that responsibility over to faceless, nameless strangers terrified him.

Sharpay spooned the last of her yoghurt into her mouth, pushing the container away with a sigh.

'I've gotta go take over from poor Chad,' she murmured, standing up and brushing herself down, 'Will come and take over after Troy?'

Troy nodded, affirmative, before glancing back down at his breakfast. Sharpay shuffled away from the group, and Taylor and Troy fell into an incredibly awkward silence.

'So…uh… yeah,' he mumbled, shifting the remnants of his breakfast around the plate. This was sufficiently uncomfortable.

He glanced around the table, unsure of what to say to Taylor. She played absently with a paper cup of coffee, spinning it in slow circles on the tabletop. As she moved her hands, her ring glinted on her finger and Troy's eyes were drawn immediately to it.

He smiled vaguely, despite the pang of sadness that was becoming a familiar feeling now. _Another _thing he had missed.

'How long have you guys been engaged?'

Taylor looked up, mildly surprised at the broken silence. She stilled her motions and glanced down at her hand, adorned with the sparkly diamond ring.

'A while now,' she shrugged indifferently, 'Maybe a year and a half,'

Troy raised his eyebrows, treading lightly with his next question, 'No hurry to get married?'

Taylor fixed him with a stern look and Troy instantly retracted, wondering whether he had over stepped the uncertain line of their hesitant camaraderie. Before he could utter an apology she dropped her eyes back down to her hand, toying with her ring.

'No… I mean… we've considered things, looked at bridal magazines occasionally and stopping to glance in bridal store windows but…it never really felt like the right time,'

Troy bobbed in head in accordance, noting immediately, her faraway, distant expression. For a moment she was lost in prior, personal memories, a world he didn't know or understand.

And then she snapped out of it, her eyes sliding back into focus, 'Yeah…it was never the right time. It'll happen when it happens,'

Abruptly she shoved her plate away, her head snapping toward the cafeteria door.

'Chad!'

Troy looked up to see Chad, ragged and worn lumbering towards them. He lifted his bandaged hand in acknowledgment to his fiancée across the room, and continued his plight toward them.

As he reached their table, he flopped down into a vacant seat unceremoniously. Taylor immediately shifted, shuffling along to accommodate him in her embrace. He sunk into her wearily, resting his head on her shoulder.

'How did it go,'

'Same old, same old,' he sighed.

Taylor shook her head, humming unhappily in the back of her throat.

'Let me go get you some food okay?' she pressed gently, squeezing his shoulder, 'I'll be right back,'

Taylor spirited away quickly to retrieve her fiancé more food. Chad shifted in his seat, wearily supporting his head in his palms.

'Everything is so…screwed up,' he sighed pensively, 'It's just not right,'

He snapped his eyes up to Troy, shaking his head again, 'You're not supposed to be here. Gabriella's not supposed to be in hospital. Taylor's not supposed to be upset. This _wasn't _how I'd planned to spend my summer,'

'I know,' Troy replied quietly, 'I hadn't expected to ever see Gabriella again,'

Chad shot Troy a dark look and he winced graciously, 'Well…understandably,' he admitted, 'This wasn't how anything was planned,'

'Here you go sweetheart,'

Taylor dropped a tray, overflowing with hot food, and juices and coffees in front of Chad. Almost instanteously, the ravenous man dove for his cutlery, digging into the food.

Taylor slid back into the seat with him, slinking an arm around his shoulders. As Chad ate she murmured things to his softly, occasionally pausing to drop a kiss on his cheek or shoulder.

As the meal, and display, continued Troy grew increasingly uncomfortable. He felt a hot flush rising up his neck, and he plucked at his collar. He didn't want to be witnessing this…

'I'm…I'm gonna go,' he said quickly, pushing himself away from the table, 'I'm just…gonna get out of here I reckon,'

Neither Taylor nor Chad bothered to look up from whatever they were preoccupied with and Troy practically sprinted from the cafeteria undetected.

* * *

Sharpay was uncomfortable. No matter how many times she sat down with one of her best friends, it still remained just a little awkward. For Sharpay, the sound of her own voice was usually a wonderful thing and hearing other's voices was a rarity around her. But now…talking to a lifeless Gabriella, in an empty room, hearing her own voice bounce of the walls, she wanted nothing more than a voice or two to add into the mix.  
She needed to hear Gabriella, to hold her hand and have it squeeze her own affectionately. She needed Gabriella's soft curtain of hair tickling her neck as the other girl's head flopped onto her shoulder. She needed Gabriella.  
Instead she sat with the shell of the girl she considered her sister. This girl was a bloodied and torn mess. She wasn't the preened perfectionist that Sharpay loved.  
And that was what hurt the most. The fact that she was different, slowly losing her grip on life and the girl she used to be. What if the real Gabriella never came back?  
Suddenly fuelled with inspiration, Sharpay leapt up, rifling through her bag. This could help. Maybe this could help.

She emerged, clutching her own makeup bag. She approached Gabriella's bed, gingerly setting her belongings beside her motionless figure. She slipped her hands into the depths of the bag, rooting around until she unearthed a bottle of nail polish.

Clutching Gabriella's un-bandaged, icy hand Sharpay began to paint her friend's nails in long even strokes. Gabriella would hate being seen like this. She'd _want _her nails painted. As the first coat dried, Sharpay settled back, admiring her handiwork. And suddenly she felt foolish.

Gabriella was in a _coma_. Gabriella could actually die. And the only thing Sharpay was doing for her was painting her nails?

Her eyes welled up with hot tears, creating a thick haze over her vision. Why did she even bother? Why couldn't she help for real?

'I'm sorry Gabi,' she whimpered, 'I'm so so sorry that I can't help you. I feel so helpless… what can I do?'

Gabriella didn't reply and Sharpay buried her head into the hospital blankets. She was a princess, she _needed _to be in charge of everything. And for once, Gabriella was slipping away and there was no one she could yell at or pay off to make it better. So she did the only thing she knew to do, the only thing she thought would make a difference. And still it was useless. It was trivial and silly, and after all their years of friendship it was the best she could offer the other girl.

Why wasn't the world fair?

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Troy ambled into Gabriella's room. Sharpay lay half-draped across Gabriella's figure, her blonde hair splayed everywhere on the stark sheets.

Sharpay sat up as she heard him enter, rubbing her eyes furiously. Her shoulders were hunched and her face seemed downcast and flat.

'Tough afternoon?'

Sharpay rolled her dark eyes, 'Something like that,'

Gently, Troy eased himself into the seat beside Sharpay's.

'I hate this,' he murmured, 'I hate that we just have to sit here and watch, wondering whether she's wasting away or clinging on. Wondering whether we're watching her last days of life or watching the fight of her life. I just…hate it,'

He shook his head feverently, raking a hand through his knotted hair.

'It's just not fair,' Sharpay sighed, thrusting a hand toward the door, '_They_ are out there, doing medical things, knowing medical things and we get to know nothing,'

Troy nodded, 'I know…but we have to trust them I suppose,'

'Do we have a choice?'

They lapsed into a silence, and Sharpay tied her ashy blonde locks into a tiny ponytail, 'I'm gonna get out of here. I need a cup of coffee and a decent bed, I'll be back in the morning,'

Her words faltered as she uttered the last word. The morning. One more night, more numbers sliced off the odds that Gabriella would ever wake again. One more day until they had to believe the worst.

She frowned, her bottom lip quivering dangerously, 'What happens if…'

Troy grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut, silencing her sentence, 'I don't know,'

Sharpay didn't press anymore, instead shoving her hands in the front pockets of her hoodie, 'Ok, I'll see you in the morning,'

Troy lifted his hand a fraction in a meagre attempt at a wave, 'Later,'

Sharpay shuffled out of the room and Troy heaved a sigh. Back to the silence.

He settled back in his seat, keeping a firm glance on Gabi in the bed. They all felt helpless. Everything was screwed up. Maybe he just needed to make things a little more normal again.

'So Gabs,' he announced airily, 'Any better this afternoon?'

* * *

Eventually the afternoon passed and the sun slunk from view below Gabriella's tiny window. Ryan appeared and stood before him, hands in his pockets.

'I'll take over now,'

Troy nodded, vaguely stumbling from the room, in search of somewhere he could sit and close his eyes.

He honestly couldn't remember the last time he slept. It was before… before everything had gone wrong, but how long ago _was _that anymore?

He found himself a neat little niche in their waiting room. Sharpay was already fast asleep, draped across two chairs and Troy settled in a nearby chair. He dropped his head back against the wall and instantly he was fast asleep.

The next thing he knew was a soft tangle of voices somewhere near his head.

'Of course you should wake him!' a feminine voice was insisting, 'Can you imagine what he'd say if the doctor came and we didn't wake him!'

'But he's sleeping!' another female voice protested, 'I live with a pro basketball player and trust me, they _like _sleep,'

'Yeah, well this is Troy. And he also _likes _to know what's happening,'

'He's sleeping!'

Troy cracked one eye open lazily, 'He's awake now!'

The figures of both Sharpay and Taylor leapt out of his line of vision, squealing hurried apologies.

'Oh, god Troy. Were we really that loud?'

Troy sat up, stretching his protesting limbs, stifling a yawn, 'Nah. I was awake anyway,'

The seat that he had vacated by sitting up, Sharpay quickly scooted into.

'Look, one of the nurses just came and told us that the doctor was on his way,'

'Is Gabriella…'

Troy was suddenly wide awake and he locked eyes with Ryan in front of him. Ryan's eyes slid away from his and he shook his head regretfully.

'No, not yet,'

Troy's heart sunk. For one glorious, blissful moment he had actually believed that she was awake and that maybe things would be okay.

Back to reality.

He ran his hands through is hair wearily, 'No…that's uh…that's fine. I mean…not the end of the world is it?'

Silence rung heavily in the group. Actually it _was _the end of the world. Losing another member of their family would be the worst thing that could ever happen to them.

'Hello everybody, how are you all doing today?'

The doctor suddenly appeared, clipboard in hand, looking crisper and more refreshed than the last time they saw him.

Instantly they all scooted into vacant seats, hanging intently on what the doctor had to say.

When the group didn't reply to his question the doctor raised his eyebrows, clearly a little weirded out, 'Well…ok. Um, I needed to talk to you all about Ms Montez,'

Anne let out a tiny whimper and Chad wrapped an arm around her protectively.

'As you all know it had now been around 48 hours,'

A soft, unwilling murmur ran through the group. That had been a fact they were all well aware of.

'We usually give the time frame of 72 hours for a normal recovery from a brain surgery. And as the 72 hours are coming close we'd like you to start…_thinking_ about your other options,'

Anne whimpered again, louder this time and Chad leant forward, bracing his arms on his knees.

'Options?'

'Ultimately this decision will be put to Gabriella's mother, but due to the unusual nature of your bond with Ms Montez we thought we would let you all know what is happening,' the doctor explained.

Chad rolled his eyes, 'I'm asking about the options dude. The _options_.'

Dr Meyers pulled an uneasy face, 'Well…this is always hard for families to hear but…'

'We want to hear them,' Chad insisted.

Meyers inhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose, 'In this late stage in the time frame, you need to begin considering the fact that Ms Montez may never wake up again. You need to consider arrangements such as nursing homes or, taking her off…'

'No!' Sharpay shrieked loudly.

She clapped her hands over her ears, leaping up out of her seat. As she dashed away, Troy could see the tears, thick and heavy in her eyes. Zeke jumped up immediately, following after her and their footsteps and her cries faded in the silent air.

The doctor turned back to them, a cold, stony look on his face, 'I know this is hard to hear, but taking her off life support _may_ be a more humane option. And with organ donation think of the lives she could…'

'Wait,' Chad interrupted, 'Organ donation?'

'Well, if you take her off life support, she would be saving other peoples lives,'

'Taking her off life support? As in…' Troy asked, his voice shaking. Surely this man could not be serious.

'You would be putting Ms Montez out of her misery. She's not leading a proper, full life now, and leaving her in a hospital, kept living only by machines and nurses is not a humane thing to do,'

Ryan frowned, 'Isn't that an opinion for Gabriella's mother to make? Whether she thinks it's humane or not?'

The doctor sighed heavily again, shaking his salt-and-pepper head, 'Look. I'm just telling you what I know. That's all I had to say, but _do_ consider…'

'Our options.' Chad finished scathingly.

With that, the doctor got up and swept away. As soon as the doctor was out of sight Kelsi burst into tears.

'How could he just…say that?' she sobbed, 'He sounded so cold and…'

'He was just doing his job Kels…' Taylor explained gently, 'He's supposed to sound detached,'

Kelsi shook her head, burying her head into her husband's shoulder, 'It's just not right!'

'I know…' Taylor replied softly.

The sound of scuffing ugg boots reappeared and Troy looked up to see a quiet Sharpay being led back into the waiting room by Zeke who clutched her elbow.

'Is he gone?' Sharpay sniffled, bowing her head shamefully.

'Yeah sweetie,' Taylor promised, patting the empty seat beside her, 'He's done talking,'

Sharpay dropped into her seat wearily, running a hand over her beautiful face.

Troy glanced over at Anne who, throughout the entire conversation had been incredibly quiet. Her lip was trembling and she was frowning as if she wasn't still quite sure that happened.

'He…he just asked me to kill my daughter,' she said quietly, testing the words as if it weren't true, 'He just…he just suggested that I willingly kill my only daughter, my _baby _and give her organs to someone else. Who…who tells a mother that she has to murder her daughter?'

'It's just an option,'

Anne shook her head again, still baffled, 'One…one I can't consider yet,'

* * *

Later that day, when Anne was spending time with her daughter, they all sat, waiting impatiently.

The day had never moved slower and every second that passed made them pray a little harder for Gabriella. It really felt like time was running out.

Troy's fingers itched and he found it difficult to stay still. He wanted to pace, to yell at someone, to make Gabriella wake up. He couldn't just sit here…

Nurses barely even bothered looking at them anymore. As they hurried past they were no longer curious about the large group in the waiting room, they had almost become a permanent fixture.

A TV, bolted to the wall above their heads belted out insipid, irritating Dora the Explorer the songs causing Taylor to sigh and glare at the screen every five minutes. But at least it drowned out the hospital noise.

The constant sound of rustling plastic was present too. Sharpay had disappeared briefly after her tears had stopped and had returned again 20 minutes later with almost $50 worth of candy from the vending machines.

'Shar…Shar…' Ryan was coaxing gently, 'All that…all that sugar's not good,'

'I don't care,' Sharpay mumbled through a mouthful of M&M's.

Ryan turned around and shot a desperate look at Zeke who in return shrugged helplessly.

'Shar, seriously. Give me some of the candy,' Ryan said, grabbing hold of the package swinging in her hands, pulling it toward him.

'I don't wanna,' Sharpay frowned, pulling it back towards her.

'Shar,'

'I don't wanna!'

Ryan yanked the pack, harder this time and it slipped from her grip. Coloured pieces of candy scattered everywhere, crashing to the ground with a clacking noise.

Ryan stood there, dumbfounded, holding the now-empty pack. He blinked owlishly and then turned, stumbling back to his seat, 'Well, at least that's one less pack of candy,'

'What the hell was that about dude?' Zeke asked, leaning forward, his brow wrinkled with concern.

Ryan shrugged, 'When things are too hard for her to handle, when she doesn't know what to do… you should have seen her after that first call back with Troy and Gabs… when they…'

He trailed off awkwardly, throwing an uncomfortable glance at Troy. So much for nostalgia. It seemed so easy back then; 17, high school crushes and simple songs about uncomplicated love. As if that were real life…

'Yeah, anyway, she almost put Ben and Jerry's out of business that night,'

Zeke chuckled dryly, 'Well… so long as she's not hurting herself,'

'Chad! Where have you been!'

Troy looked up again to find Chad reapproaching the group. Shortly after the doctor had left Chad too had disappeared, only to return now.

'I was just…talking,' Chad replied shortly to his fiancée, 'Just…whatever,'

Taylor frowned, 'What's the matter Chad?'

Chad was silent, pacing before the gathered group for a few moments before stopping. When he turned his eyes were serious and dark, full of heavy contemplation way beyond his years.

'What…' he began, pursing his lips, 'What if…'

'What Chad?' Taylor pressed, 'What's the matter,'

His shook his dark head suddenly, 'No…you'll just all lose it,'

'No we won't,' Taylor insisted, 'Just tell me what's on your mind,'

Chad frowned again, thoughtful and pensive, 'What if…the doctor's right,'

Taylor almost spat out the coffee in her mouth, 'What did you just say?'

'What if that Meyers dude was right? What if turning of the life support was the best thing for Gabi?'

Troy felt gutted. Surely the man who used to be his brother couldn't be saying this. He just…couldn't.

Taylor stared back at her fiancé, wide eyed and he continued.

'What if we're doing the wrong thing by Gabi by keeping her alive when she should be dead. What if her time is up? What if she _could _be saving other lives?'

Troy couldn't take much more. He stood up, propelled by the injustice of Chad's words.

'Are you freaking serious?' Troy demanded, 'You have _got _to be kidding me?'

Chad's eyes darkened and he took on a more defensive stance, 'No. I'm not. Do you have a problem with that Bolton?'

'Yeah! I do. Because _you're _suggesting that killing Gabriella is the most humane thing to do! How, god please tell me _how _that is the most humane thing you can do for one of your closest friends!'

'I'm putting her out of a false, useless life that she would _never_ live!' Chad argued back.

'Gabriella has so god damn much ahead of her!' Troy bellowed, 'And you're talking…you're considering taking her off life support? On what grounds?'

'On the grounds that eventually…she will become a vegetable. She'll lie in a hospital bed, day in, day out until her brain rots away into nothingness and the girl we once loved is gone! Completely! Do you really want that to happen to her?'

'Who's to say she won't wake up!' Troy demanded, 'Who's to say that she _won't _be an exception to the odds! She could be waking at any time and you're already planning her funeral!'

The rest of the group was silent, watching the vicious volley between the two ex-best friends. Ryan stood, braced, on the ready should either man attempt to punch the shit out of each other again, and Kelsi watched their conversation, her head swivelling back and forth with each sentence flung.

'Ok! Ok!' Taylor cried, holding her hands up, 'Enough!'

Both men fell silent, glaring murderously at one another. What the hell was wrong with the world?

The dark-skinned girl stood up, frowning with concentration. She stood between the two men, before resting one hand on her hip.

'Tay…' Kelsi said quietly, 'What…what do you think?'

Taylor bit her lip, shaking her head, 'I…I think that…Chad's right,'

Troy groaned, rolling his eyes, 'Of course you do, what a surprise,'

Taylor threw him a silencing glare, 'Honestly think of what Gabi would want,' she pried gently, 'She wouldn't want to spend her final days wasting away. Particularly when that's not her only choice. She'd be wanting to help other people if she could!'

'Not if it meant her family was planning a premature funeral at 25!' Troy exclaimed, 'What kind of friends are you if you have already given up?'

'The kind that's a hell of a lot better than you,' Taylor snapped, 'At least we didn't dump her ass without warning! At least we didn't break her heart, destroy everything she had all to become famous! At least we actually _loved _her!'

Troy froze, every muscle suddenly becoming very rigid. His face curled into a lethal snarl and his voice became very, very quiet.

'Don't you dare, _ever _question my feelings for Gabriella,' he growled, 'I loved her for so long. She is…was the love of my life and _nothing _will ever change that. Just because we are over and it didn't end well… does not mean you should _ever _question how I felt for her!'

Taylor was dumbfounded and he jaw hung slack as she stared at the other boy, crouched defensively, his eyes flashing. She had picked up on his slip up the second he said it but now…

'Troy, ok, that's enough,'

Ryan suddenly appeared at Troy's side, grasping his arm firmly, 'Just…let it go,'

Taylor, suddenly spurred back into life turned on Ryan, 'What do you think?'

Ryan blinked, surprise at his sudden entrance to the conversation, 'Wha…what?'

'What do you think? About Gabriella?'

Ryan's blue eyes widened, 'Uh…I have no opinion. I am opinion-less,'

'You can't be opinion-less in a matter like this!'

The boy sighed, 'Look, I love Gabriella. So, so much. She's like my sister. I would never ever want her hurt but nor do I ever want to _see _her hurt,'

Chad groaned, 'Dude, Gabriella has less than 24 hours left until the odds that she'll ever wake up again go crashing down. What are you going to think then?'

Ryan shrugged helplessly, still unwilling to get caught in the middle of the argument, 'I…I don't know man. It's a bridge we need to cross. When or _if _we get to it,'

Chad shook his head, 'This is…messed up man,'

'I know, but I can't pick a side. And really…neither should you so…'

'Come on Chad,' Taylor said softly, pulling on his arm, 'Let's get out of here for a while,'

Ryan finally looked enthused about something, '_Great _idea. Before you actually break your hand this time,'

Chad rolled his eyes but nevertheless followed his commanding girlfriend. As Chad and Taylor disappeared, Troy collapsed in the chair beside Sharpay who with a hesitant smile on her face extended an open package of Twizzlers.

Troy offered her a half, exhausted smile but nevertheless accepted one.

Sharpay squeezed his forearm, leaning in close to him, 'I'm so glad you're still on her side. I'm glad you're still fighting for her,'

Troy grimaced, leaning back against the wall. Yeah, he was still fighting for her. Question was, whether she would want him to.

* * *

So much for leaving the hospital. They had only gotten as far as Gabriella's room and with the hushed permission of a young nurse bedazzled by Chad's fame, had gained access to her room together.

So they sat there, clinging onto one another's hand, watching their slumbering friend.

'Are we doing the right thing Gabs?' Chad asked, 'Did we fight for the right cause?'

Taylor shook her head tightly, 'I don't know Gabi, we've known you for so long and…what if we have just said the one thing that you wouldn't want?'

Chad touched the unconscious girl's arm lightly, 'We want what's best for you… that's all. We don't want you kept on earth beyond your time. It's not fair and it's not our right,'

'But maybe Troy's right…' Taylor murmured, 'Maybe it's not our right to kill her either…'

'I don't want you to die Gabs. We _love _you. You're practically my baby sister and I want you around forever. So does Tay so please… will you just wake up,'

Taylor sniffled miserably, 'I can't bring myself to make a decision, to watch your mother kill her only child… I can't watch my sister die. Please Gabi… we have _so _much left to do, you can't leave us just yet!'

Chad squeezed his fiancée's hand affectionately, 'We'll be okay,' he promised, despite his shaking voice, 'We'll all be okay,'

The sound of a clearing throat drew their attention to the door. There was Troy, his hands shoved in his pocket, an uncomfortable wince on his face.

'Uh…hi,' he mumbled awkwardly, shuffling on the spot.

Chad straightened up instantly, trying to make himself appeared compose, 'Hey,'

'Look uh… I was just gonna come and see Gabi,' Troy said, staring intently at the floor beneath him.

'Well…uh…we're done here I guess,' Chad replied.

'Good uh…good,' Troy bobbed his head.

Gauchely, Chad got to his feet, grabbing his protesting fiancée with him, 'Let's go Tay. I need some coffee,'

'But Chad!'

'Come on Tay,'

Taylor glanced between the two men, realization dawning on her. Neither knew what to do to expel the unsaid things between them. _I'm sorry. I've missed you._

It was then she realized that it was the first time in five years that the four of them had been in the same room together. Such instrumental parts of who they were today, forming their senior year together, creating memories and emotions. And now they were together again. Back in high school when they went on those embarrassingly dorky double dates to the bowling alley or to go see a movie, she would always dream of the future, the four of them gathered together again with real careers and jobs and engagement rings.

She had never dreamt it would be this way.

She had never dreamt that Troy would be living in a separate state from them all. She had never dream that Gabriella would be single and a workaholic. She had never dreamt that Troy and Chad wouldn't know what to say to each other.

None of this was part of her dream!

Suddenly overcome with a sad sense of nostalgia, Taylor pulled on her fiancé's hand, 'Come on let's go,'

Chad resisted suddenly, his eyes thoughtful, 'Actually…you go ahead Tay. I'll meet you in the cafeteria,'

Taylor stepped back in mild surprise, 'Ah…ok, then. I'll just…go,'

She wandered away, watching over her shoulder as Chad took another step towards his ex-best friend.

This was going to end either of two ways. One, they were going to fight again possibly removing each other's limbs or two, they were going to talk and take one more hesitant step in the process of repatching what was left of their friendship.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

'So uh…hey, listen,'

'Look, dude…'

They both began speaking at the same time and instantly clammed up, staring at the other.

'Sorry uh…you go first,' Troy garbled hastily.

'No man, no worry. You can go first…'

Troy's eyes shifted around the room, 'Look…see, about before. The thing is I just…I sorta wanna apologize. I wasn't prepared to hear the worst case scenario. I still kinda feel like this is on my conscience and…it would kill me if she didn't make it,'

'Yeah uh…sorry dude. I was out of line. I was worried and crazy out of my mind and…I just wanted what the doctor thought was best. I wanted the best for Gabi…'

The two men stared at each other incredulously. They had _both _admitted defeat. Now what?

'So yeah…I just wanted to make sure we're still cool,' Troy mumbled.

Chad shoved his hands in his pockets, shrugging, 'Sure…yeah, whatever,'

They lapsed into an uneasy silence where they avoided each other's gazes, afraid of what they might see.

'I'm…I'm glad that you're there,' Troy voiced, shattering their silence, 'I'm glad that you, of all our old friends, I'm that that you're the one who lives close to her,'

Chad scratched the back of his neck, offering a wry smile, 'Yeah well…she's Gabster you know?'

Troy's eyes softened with sadness, 'No, I don't, not really…'

Chad's heart wrenched, as the other man's mouth turned down dangerously.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Chad straightened up, dragging himself out of the moment that was skirting on intimate. Like the old times.

'I'll uh, I'll leave Gabs with you. Later,'

Chad clapped his arm briefly as he passed through the door. As he was walking away, he turned to see Troy, one hand resting on the back of his neck, his eyes downcast as he stared at Gabriella.

Chad hated the chasm that separated him from the man who used to be his brother. They grew up together, knew everything about one another. And now…

Slowly, whether he liked it or not, this whole ordeal was bringing them together. Chad could feel it, inch by inch, at the slowest rate possible. But there was something, something different.

He knew their friendship, if it ever repaired, would never be the same again. But… in true honesty, it was better than nothing.

As Chad disappeared, Troy fought the onslaught of emotion crashing over him. It was too much. He was there, in Gabriella's room, watching her fight for her life, with his ex-best friend who was now leading the life he had always wanted. Chad was happy, he had a fiancée and family and the NBA career.

Whatever little Troy had paled in comparison.

He was happy for his brother, that he had gotten to live the dream. But in the dream Troy was right there with him.

With a turmoil of emotions roiling in the pit of his stomach, Troy shuffled to the seat beside Gabriella's bed, reaching for her hand and holding it close to him.

Gently he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the icy skin. _Gabi, I miss you. Please come back._

'Hey Gabi…' he said, his voice wrought with emotion, 'Are you feeling any better?'

He tried swallowing through his thick throat, unable to contain what he had been trying so hard to.

'I hope you do,' he murmured earnestly, 'I hope you're feeling a little better and you're thinking about seriously fighting now,'

Tears were suddenly at the ready, springing into his eyes. Why was he crying?

'Gabs,' he said, his voice cracking painfully, 'Time is _not _on your side here. You have to fight! Please, just…just fight! You have so much ahead of you, so much going for you! You _can't _give up now!'

The first teal spilled down onto his cheek and his body shook, 'Please Gabi. I'm _begging _you. You have to wake up. I…I can't take it. I won't be able to take it if you don't survive!'

Her machines continued to beep steadily, not even caring for the boy who was slowly losing grip.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

'Do you know what they're talking about?' he cried, 'They're talking about killing you. Taking you off life support when you're still there. Gabi, everything about you, you're still here. You're clothes, you're personality…it's still here, it's not gone yet! How can you be thinking about leaving when you're not done?'

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Tears were streaming steadily down his face by now and he did nothing to stop the flow. She needed to know how much they needed her. She needed to know that she had to fight.

'Come on Gabi!' he begged, his throat raw and constricted, 'Please! Please!'

_Beep. Beep._

'You have to come back! You need to know I'm sorry! You need to know that I made a mistake! You need to know that we've been defying fate all these years! You need to know that, every moment for the past five years I have regretted leaving you with every fibre of my body! You need to know that I miss you!'

His body shook violently. Why couldn't she hear him? Why didn't she understand?

And then he felt it, the faintest of twitches in the hand he was holding. The cool fingers tightened their grip on his hand weakly.

It was over so fast that Troy wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not. Had she really squeezed his hand? Was that all in his head?

_Beebeep beebeep._

Troy's head snapped as the machines sound suddenly changed sharply. The sounds were more rapid, a less mechanical noise than before.

Beebeep beebeep. His stomach fluttered as the new, unfamiliar noise became a constant in the room, filling every crevice and corner. His heart swelled… surely it couldn't mean…

A flurry of nurses burst into the room with a bustle of noise. They crowded around Gabriella, blocking her from view as they fiddled and adjusted everything around her.

Troy jumped out of his seat, never for a second releasing her hand, listening the sounds of a healthier, strong heartbeat which only meant one thing.

'Oh my god! Gabriella!' he cried.

He pressed his lips again to Gabriella's cool fingers, for the first time in what felt like forever, smiling a genuine, honest smile.

Things were looking up.

* * *

The rest of the group sat together in the waiting room. Dora was long gone and instead Oprah had taken her place, preaching about something or other. Taylor flicked mindlessly through the old magazines, barely even paying attention. There were less than four hours left until Gabriella's full 72 were up. It was cutting it too fine, the odds were too low.

She felt jittery, nervous and the weight of losing her best friend was pressing down on her. She couldn't handle it. She couldn't…

Her phone vibrating in her pocket drew her attention away from Britney Spear's drunken snarl. Instantly she scooped it up, pressing it to her ear.

'Hello, Taylor McKessie speaking,'

In their group, privacy was a thing unheard of. As soon as she answered the call the group gathered around her, attempting to decipher the other end of the conversation.

'Oh…oh my god. Are you serious?' Taylor demanded, 'Are you… oh my god,'

Sharpay and Kelsi's hands intertwined nervously, trying to gauge how positive Taylor's reaction was to whatever news she was receiving. The boys frowned, Chad leaning in to rub his fiancée's shoulder.

'Oh my…I can't believe…of course… we'll be… thanks, bye,'

She hung up the phone, shaking like a fall leaf. Her eyes were welling with tears and as she lay the phone down, she pressed a quivering hand to her mouth.

'Oh my…' she murmured weakly.

'Who was that Tay?' Chad demanded, concern etched on his face.

Taylor looked up and instantly Chad could read the happiness shining through her dark eyes despite the tears. She placed her hands in her lap, looking around, catching the eye of every group member.

'That…that was Troy. Gabriella's waking up,'

* * *

**You didn't really think I'd kill her right? I'm not that mean...  
Reviews, please? I have one hell of a week coming up and the reviews will make it oh-so much better!**


	14. Miscommunication

'That was Troy,' Taylor whispered reverently, 'Gabriella's waking up,'

Taylor's words fell heavily upon the group and in silence they all looked around at one another, still unsure that they had heard those very words.

Surely not. After all this time, at the very end of the time that she had been given, when all hope was almost gone. Surely she couldn't be awake…

And then it sunk it. She was awake. _Alive._ She was okay.

They suddenly erupted in shrieks, leaping up to their feat. Sharpay screamed, throwing her arms around Zeke. Chad turned to his fiancée and scooped her up, spinning her around, whooping loudly in her ear. Ryan clapped his hands over his mouth, pulling his beloved wife into a tight embrace.

'Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!' Sharpay yelped, 'She's…she's awake!'

Chad, overwhelmed with elation pulled the blonde into a brotherly embrace, rocking from side to side as he did.

'She's awake! She's awake!' he chanted, 'She's awake!'

Taylor couldn't even bring herself to quiet her excitement. Screw the people staring. Gabriella was _awake.  
_For minutes after they stood their, hugging, bouncing on the spot, tears streaming freely from all the girls eyes. All their waiting, praying, hoping. It hadn't been in vain. Gabriella was awake. It was the best news any of them could have received. They no longer had to ponder death and nursing homes. They had Gabriella, back in the same world as them and maybe everything would be okay. Somewhere in the cacophony, Troy rejoined them, his cheeks shamelessly tear stained, a grin stretching his face from ear to ear. Sharpay instantly pounced on his, pressing a kiss to either of his cheeks, twining her arms around his neck.

'She's ok! She fought for us!' Sharpay shrieked, 'Tell us everything!'

And that quieted the whole group. At the true realization that Troy had news they all fell silent, scrambling to their seats.

'How did it happen?'

'What did she say?'

'What did the doctor say?'

'Does Anne know?'

Rapid questions began to hurtle at him, overlapping with one another, urgency lacing each and every request.

Troy held his hands up, his mind spinning. He could barely believe what he had heard. One minute he had been sitting there with his ex-fiancée, begging her to come back and the next thing he knew was the flurry of nurses screeching at him to leave as they fiddled with tubes and wires. He had stood outside the room, listening in intently for any positive sign of the girl.  
He sat there, listening to the nurses screech at one another, all the while his heart pounding furiously. This couldn't really be happening after all this time…  
And then he heard it, a faint, weak miserable cough as they yanked a tube unceremoniously from her throat. It had been tiny and barely there, but it was enough to make Troy swell with joy. He had made his first call to Anne, who was waiting nearby in the cafeteria. Hell hath no fury like a worried mother. The woman appeared at the door of Gabriella's room, wailing in Spanish within seconds. Troy stepped back as the nurses welcomed her in, gently coaxing her to talk to her daughter. He wished he knew what was going on. Were her eyes open? Was everything okay?  
His wishes were never answered and instead, he had been ordered away.

And now he was here, with the instructions to wait there until a nurse came for them.

'Stop!' he ordered, silencing their crazy stream of questions, '_Yes._ Anne knows. The doctor hasn't arrived yet, he's on his way. Gabriella didn't say anything, but I heard her coughing. And it…it just all happened so fast, I…'

Taylor leant back in her seat, biting her lip, her eyes shining with tears, 'She's okay though?'

Troy smiled, 'Yeah…I think so,'

'Now what?'

Troy shook his head, scratching his neck, 'Now we wait. Again. The nurse will come and get us soon,'

Suddenly the prospect of waiting didn't seem like such a horrendous task. They'd been waiting for three days, watching her slip away from them. She was awake, and compared to what they'd been through another hour or two seemed insignificant.  
They would wait for her.

* * *

There was nothing. All around her, there was nothing but darkness and quiet. Nothing existed, nothing matter. She was just…there.  
For so long there had been no struggle for life, no tug of death close at her heels. Just… time to time she would float closer to what she hoped was a surface. It was then she would hear vague, whispery murmurs of the outside world, snippets of conversations that had no meaning to her. _I have some news for you…  
_And then there had been a change. She began to feel things. Before her, she saw everything; her and Troy at seventeen, twirling around on a golf course, her and the girls at a slumber party, graduation with Chad crushing her into a hug, Troy shakily lowering himself to one knee, her engagement ring flying across the room as she threw it at him.  
With each new memory she was pushed a little closer toward the surface. She heard large portions of conversation, she heard voices a little clearer than she had before.  
But still it was all nonsense. What was happening out there? What was going on?  
Time no longer had meaning, because for…god knows how long there had been nothing.  
And then suddenly…it all vanished, and the light took it's place.

'_So what have we here?'_

'So what have we here?' Dr Meyer asked, strolling into Gabriella's room.

'She's waking up sir,' one of the nurses said obediently.

The crowd of staff parted as he approached the bed and his patient lying on it. Montez, Gabriella, aged 25 was limp on her bed, her eyes fluttered shut. Her mother sat beside her, clutching her hand, whimpering softly in Spanish to her daughter.

'Ms Montez,' he called, approaching the girl's side, 'Gabriella, can you hear me?'

The girl let out a nearly inaudible moan and her mother sobbed, 'Gabriella? Mija! Answer my baby!'

He leant forward again, pulling a torch from his coat pocket, 'Ms Montez, I need you to follow the light with your eyes, can you do that?'

The girl moaned again, and her eyelids fluttered weakly. He knew this was the hardest part, watching patients he had operated on so arduously, watching their families waiting, praying for the one they loved.

And if Gabriella couldn't open her eyes, follow the light, all that waiting could be in vain. He hated when he couldn't help.

'Gabriella. You need to follow the light with your eyes,'

Slowly but surely her eyelids cracked open, revealing blood shot, vacant dark eyes. Her gaze struggled, darting around the room, unaccustomed to the new surroundings.

'Ms Montez,' he said firmly, 'Look at me,'

'Gabi!' her mother whispered, 'Mirar el medico,'

Following the sound her eyes slid back to him, focusing in on his face. She squinted, wincing unwillingly, but she didn't break his gaze.

'Ok, follow this light please,'

Slowly, he began to shift the light before the girl's eyes. Sluggishly, she followed, still grimacing at the unfamiliar intrusion.

The doctor switched the light off, pocketing again, 'Everything looks ok there. That's good news. She responds to light as well as voice commands,'

Anne released her daughter's hand and the doctor grabbed it instead.

'Gabriella, can you squeeze my hand?'

The girl moaned again, her eyes sliding shut. Her grip was feeble but nevertheless her fingers tightened around his. This too was good news.

'You're doing great Gabriella. Can you tell me what your mother's name is?'

Her mother murmured softly in Spanish, echoing what he had just said.

The girl screwed up her face, contorted with concentration and disorientation. This was the most important part, her speech.

'Ugh…nrgh…' Gabriella grumbled, 'Ugnrgh…'

The doctor waited patiently, coaxing her to say at least one word. If she could do that, she would be fine. She would get used to speaking again…if she just said.

'Nnnnn,' she mumbled.

'What was that Gabriella?' the doctor tested.

'Nnnnnn,' she whined.

'Come on Gabriella, I know you can do this,'

'Aaaannnnne,'

Gabriella's mother burst into tears, promptly kissing her daughter's forehead.

'Oh baby, you did so well! Oh I'm so proud of you!'

Dr Meyers smiled, taking a step back. She could speak, see and move her hands. His work was done for now.

'How are you feeling Gabriella?' he asked.

Gabriella lifted on frail arm, shaky and useless from the days it spent limp by her side, and touched it to her forehead.

'Is your head sore?' he pried.

'Si,' she croaked.

Dr Meyers turned to Gabriella's mother, mildly surprised.

'What language did she speak first?'

Anne Montez frowned, concern suddenly present, 'Uh… Spanish. Her…her father spoke Spanish around the house. She learnt English after that…'

The doctor nodded, comprehension on his face as he clutched the clipboard to his chest.

'Don't be surprised if she only speaks Spanish,'

Anne's eyes widened, 'Forever?'

'No…I don't think so. The English will come back soon,'

The woman suddenly pulled him in, pressing a kiss to either cheek, 'Thank doctor. You…my baby's alive,'

'She's one very lucky woman…'

* * *

'What do you mean she's speaking Spanish?' Chad demanded, dumbfounded.

'As in, she is speaking Spanish and Spanish only at the current moment,' the doctor explained gently.

He was breaking his news to her gathered friends who were waiting anxiously on him.

'Why is she doing that?'

The doctor shrugged, 'It's her brain's natural coping mechanism. She learnt to talk in Spanish. Her brain has been violated, it feels…threatened. It's a fight against it's injuries,'

The group stared back at him blankly. A coping mechanism… Spanish…

It was all too much to take in.

'But, the good news is, that she _is _talking which is great news. She responds to your voice and can move her hands. Considering the nature of your friend's injury, this is a miracle. You should count yourselves lucky,'

They nodded blankly at him, and the doctor excused himself with a, 'Have a nice day,'

As soon as the doctor was gone, they began to look around at one another.

Kelsi was frowning, 'I…I don't know how to speak Spanish,'

'Neither do I!' Ryan exclaimed.

Troy looked distraught as he fiddled with the class ring on his finger, 'I thought she'd…'

'She'll be okay,' Chad assured, 'We'll get to go see her, but we won't… be able to understand one another until the English comes back,'

'And what if it doesn't?' Troy demanded.

'The doctor said that amnesia was a typical reaction for a coma patient. She doesn't remember anything about the accident, she doesn't remember much about even coming to Albuquerque. But the doctor also said that most of that will come back,'

'She doesn't even remember…'

'That you're here?' Chad asked, 'No.'

Troy let a long, heavy sigh pass through his pursed lips. Upset, he raked his hands through his head, shaking his head, 'So I can't see her…'

'It'll confuse her,' Chad shrugged, 'The doctor said so,'

Troy bit back the onslaught that battled him. It wasn't fair. He had waited for Gabriella, for days now. He had waited for her to wake up, begging and praying that she would. And now… and now he couldn't see her.  
It wasn't her fault that she couldn't remember him. It simply stung that after all that, he had to wait, hoping that her memory would return.

'Well…uh, Tay and me are gonna go first,' Chad said, trying to brush the awkwardness away, 'We'll be back soon,'

Grasping her fiancé's hand, Taylor and Chad swept from the room, on their way to see Gabriella.

'Does _anyone _here speak Spanish?' Sharpay asked, looking out over the group, 'Even a little bit?'

Ryan shook his head, Zeke shrugged dismally and Kelsi sniffled. A big, resounding no.

'Troy?'

He shook his head regretfully, 'I can only speak the Spanish that I picked up hanging around Gabi as a teenager… and most of it won't help. I can only say what Gabi would teach me. Stupid things, like…my pants are on fire or… your parrot smells nice. Total nonsense… but I used to like saying them to Chad just to piss him off,'

Despite her sadness, Sharpay snorted, 'That sounds like you,'

Kelsi giggled into the back of her hand and Ryan smirked. For a moment they sat together, laughing at their teenage stupidity. It felt like such a long time ago. A time when everything was of vital importance, the centre of their very being.

Now looking back, it seemed senseless and trivial.

At the time, mocking Chad had been more important and learning silly phrases in Spanish was the best way to do it. Why did he never take the time to learn Spanish? He heard it often enough, between his girlfriend and her mother as she darted through their house, the foreign language sliding fluidly from her lips. He never thought… he never thought he'd need it.

How wrong was he?

* * *

'Gabi?' Taylor whispered quietly as they entered her room.

One small part of her had honestly expected to see a dramatic change. In her perfect world, a corner in the back of her mind, Gabriella was rosy cheeked and smiling. She had been watching to many soap operas.

Instead it felt like nothing had changed. Machines, albeit fewer, still bleeped steadily and monitors flashed and glowed important information for the nurses.

The only difference was the lights. The unnatural, bluish glow caused by the halogen lights was gone, replaced by a slightly dimmer, darker shade which was presumably to help ease Gabriella back into seeing the light.

'Hey Gabi, we're here,'

Hands shaking, Taylor took her seat beside Gabriella's bed. Less than four hours ago she had sat here, with a broken lifeless figure, begging her back to life. And now…

Gabriella's eyelids slid open indolently, revealing clouded brown. She looked in their direction, taking a few moments to process them.

Taylor's heart stopped beating for those moments, her nails digging into Chad's palm. What if she didn't recognize them? What if, what if?

And then her dark eyes sharpened and her lips curled into a crooked, broken smile that broke Taylor's heart.

'Taylor,' she whispered.

Taylor's stomach wrenched. Gabriella. She was there, listening to Gabriella's voice when she believed she never would again.

'Oh, honey, I…I don't know what to say!' she blubbered, 'I was so… I was so scared! God, don't ever do that again!'

Gabriella's brow furrowed, 'No entiendo,' she murmured.

'Oh!' Taylor clapped her hands to her mouth in surprise. She'd forgotten for one glorious minute. Of course she didn't understand… What did she say to Gabriella now?

Gabriella was beginning to look panicked. She knew she was missing something, she knew she should understand. Why didn't she understand?

Quickly racking her brains back to the one whole semester of Spanish she managed to complete. She had hated the Spanish teacher and at the end of the semester told him to get screwed and took up French instead.

'Uh… uh…' Taylor mumbled, grasping straws, 'Hablo moy poco espanol. Lo siento mucho,'

_I speak very little Spanish. I'm very sorry._

Gabriella seemed to understand and her eyes filled with comprehension, only to be overtaken by worry again.

Taylor had about reached the limits of her Spanish. How did she let Gabi know that everything was going to work out ok? They would be okay eventually.

It was so hard when she felt like she was speaking to a stranger. What did she say? She loved this woman but… she had nothing to say to her. She knew the true America, English speaking Gabriella. This other girl was…different.

'Gabi,' Chad rumbled, reaching for her hand. He began speaking in long, slow syllables, 'It will be okay.'

Gabriella looked vaguely confused, but for the most past, her worry disappeared. He curled his fingers around her hand, patting the top of her hand in the most comforting gesture he could think of.

Despite their new language barrier, Gabriella still understood. That man was like her brother, and she may not understand him but she still loved him.

Taylor reached up to pat her frail arm and Gabriella offered a small weak smile, her eyes closing again.

The silence said all they needed for now; _you're here and that's enough for me_.

* * *

When they returned half an hour later, once Gabriella had well and truly drifted back to sleep, they were met with a news-hungry group of friends. Sharpay, the most vicious and dominating was first to reach them, grabbing Taylor by her shoulders, her manicured talons pinning her tightly.

'What happened? What was it like? Is she okay? Did she recognize you? Tell me _everything,'_

Terrified by the girl's flashing dark eyes, Taylor's eyes widened, 'I don't know which question to answer first…'

'Did she recognize you?'

The rest of the group leant forward, eagerly lapping up information from the only people who had it.

'Yes. She did. When she saw us, she…she smiled.'

'Can she really not understand English?' Kelsi piped up.

Chad shook his head regretfully, 'Nope. Tay knew just enough Spanish to say she couldn't speak Spanish. Gabi sort of panicked… but if you say it slow enough, and with enough expression in your voice, she gets the idea. She's kind of stressed about not understanding but it didn't take her too long. Obviously we didn't have a lengthy conversation, but we saw her, alive and breathing,'

Ryan let out a ragged sigh of relief, flopping back into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose, '_That's _good news,'

'So…can I go see her?' Sharpay asked expectantly.

Taylor nodded, 'She's asleep now… but, she'll appreciate waking up to a friendly face I'm sure,'

Sharpay nodded, gathering her bag off the floor, rearranging her ponytail, a shaky look on her face.

'Do you want me to go with you?' Zeke asked, catching Sharpay's hand as she walked through.

'Uh… if you want to,' Sharpay shrugged, her voice trembling with nerves.

He smiled warmly, 'Ok,'

Twining her hand with his, the pair walked off towards Gabriella's room.

'Oh god, what if we don't understand each other at all? What if she just sits there and stares and me… oh…'

'Shar, calm down,' Zeke soothed as they walked into the slumbering girl's room, 'It'll be fine,'

Quickly they took up vigil in the seats that were becoming increasingly familiar. A second home considering the amount of time they had been there over the last 72 hours.

Sharpay twitched and fidgeted in the chair and Zeke turned to her, 'Are you okay Shar?'

Sharpay looked around the room slowly, her nose wrinkling with distaste, 'No. No I don't think so,'

'Apart from Gabi, what is that matter,'

'There's… there's something I've wanted to do for a while,' she sighed, 'And… we're going to be in the room a while. What kind of place is this for Gabriella to recover?'

Zeke shrugged, 'Well… it has…the machines and a…bed,'

Sharpay huffed at him, 'You need more than walls to recover Zeke! You need… good things. Things to make her remember the fact that she is our best friend, our baby sister and we want her to get better,'

'Ok…' Zeke said slowly, 'I don't really follow but, good! I support you!'

Sharpay rolled her eyes, and dove into the tote bag at her feet. She pulled out a transparent pink wallet, flipping through it.

'_This _is what I'm talking about. Something to recover to,' she murmured, jumping to her feet.

Inside the pink wallet was a number of photos, all organized neatly by the date they were taken. Ryan had had far to much time on his hands before he moved to London.

'Shar… what are you planning to do?'

'I'm going to stick these up on the wall!' she whispered, 'Just some… memories,'

'Shar? How are you going to get them to stay up there?'

'Duh, with sticky tape,'

'Where are you going to get the sticky tape from?'

Sharpay rolled her eyes, 'Have you _no _faith in me Baylor? There's a reason we don't let you men in women's purses,'

She crouched down, rooting through the bag again until she uncovered a bag of stationery, which included a roll of tape.

'Voila,' she said, brandishing it proudly.

'Good job Shar,' Zeke smiled bashfully.

'Now! Back to work!'

It wasn't until much later in the evening, almost eight o'clock when Gabriella woke again. Sleepy and subdued, most likely from the drugs pumping through her system, preventing her from writhing in pain, she blinked blearily at the two new intruders in her room.

Instantly her eyes lightened with recognition and she lifted a feeble hand for Sharpay to hold.

'Shar…' she croaked.

'I love you Gabs,' Sharpay responded, tears already forming, 'Thank god you're okay,'

Gabriella's lips curved into an exhausted half smile, despite the fact that those words had meant nothing to her. She got the idea.

'Hey Gabs,' Zeke whispered, leaning close to her, 'It good to see you again,'

She moved her head a fraction of an inch in what may have been a nod. She winced at discomfort, and Sharpay squeezed her hand.

Gabriella's eyes fluttered shut again, and Zeke patted her leg through her tight blankets, 'Go back to sleep. Feel better. We'll wait for you,'

* * *

He had been reduced to this. Sneaking in, in the dead of the night, just to catch a glimpse of the real, living breathing Gabriella.

It was 2am. Everyone else, the smart, sensible people who were allowed to see Gabriella were fast asleep, content with what they had seen, providing them with a perfect nights sleep.

Troy on the other hand…

He crept into her room, dark and still. The occupant of the room slept on peacefully, completely unaware of the man, desperate to see her.

Quietly, Troy lowered himself into the seat beside her bed. Moonlight streamed through the tiny window, dusting Gabriella in a beautiful, angelic glow. The moon highlight the gentle curve of her cheek, which faded into dark shadows around the pillows. The glow kissed her chapped and dry lips, pursed loosely in sleep, air lightly escaping them. Even now… she was beautiful.

Troy leant forward, watching pensively as her chest rose and fell with each breath. There she was, living, breathing, ok.

It felt surreal. She was awake. She was _ok._

He didn't know what to do with himself, with the crazed build up of tension. He had spent days worrying, crying, an insane tumult of emotions all for this moment. And now…

Now he was lost.

He wanted to hold her, pull her close and never, ever let her go again. He wanted to stroke her soft skin, rock her to sleep and never let anything hurt her.

But he couldn't.

Instead, Troy sat there and watched. He could handle that, watching from a distance, providing her with the silent protection she didn't know she had.

Gently he pressed a kiss to the palm, lying relaxed on the bed.

'You'll be okay now,'

* * *

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing_

_Watch you smile while you are sleeping_

_While you're far away and dreaming…_

* * *

**Phew, it's finally done! I've had the flu all week (Yuk, I hate it - but then again, does anyone like having it?) and also attempting to battle the impending doom of exam block. I'm so over school and the moment and I can't wait til we're done for the term! Reviews however make my gloom and doom, assessment filled week a little brighter!! *hint, hint***


	15. Moment of Peace

As the first rays of sun began to peek through Gabriella's tiny window Troy darted from her room silently. He had spent the night, curled up by her bed side, listening to the steady rhythms of her breaths. _In. Out. In. Out. In…  
_To Troy, those noises were like music to his ears. It meant she was there, actually there, actually breathing. She was alive. He could never tire of that sound.  
But now…now he had to leave. It was for her own good, but even as he slipped away from her room and into the early morning hospital throng, his heart ached. He needed to be with her.  
He slipped into the waiting room to where everyone else gathered. Chad and Taylor were curled, fast asleep in one another's arms, getting the first true nights sleep since the whole ordeal began. Sharpay and Zeke's joined hands hung in the gap between the chairs in which they both dozed and Ryan snored lightly, his head on his wife's shoulder.  
And then there was Kelsi. She was wide awake, her silvery eyes bright and wide as she toyed with her braid staring blankly ahead of her.

'Uh…Kelsi…' Troy stuttered, approaching her warily, 'I didn't expect anyone to be awake,'

Her eyes snapped up, jolting out of her reverie, then she shot him a wry grin, 'Obviously,'

'I uh… I was just…'

'Around?' Kelsi supplied helpfully 'Because, otherwise you'd probably be somewhere you're not supposed to be,'

Troy grinned sheepishly, 'Perhaps,'

'Well come on, sit down. At least pretend you were with us all night,'

Gently, Troy eased himself into the vacant chair beside Kelsi. The small girl had her head cocked thoughtfully, gnawing on her lip.

'I can't believe she's awake,' she whispered reverently, 'I was beginning to believe…'

Troy nodded sadly, 'Me too,'

'I think…after everything this group has been through…'

When Kelsi paused he realized just what _hardship_ the Wildcats had faced. His disappearance, his blatant, abrupt removal from their lives.

'After all that…I just don't think we would have survived if she hadn't woken up,'

Troy nodded and they lapsed into a lulling silence, allowing themselves to be surrounded by the bustle of the hospital. As they sat, Kelsi lost herself in thought and Troy found himself studying the girl he used to know.  
Out of their entire group, once upon a time Kelsi used to be the one with the answers. She was the one who, above all, believed in true love. _His _true love. She wrote those starry-eyed songs and when things went wrong she was always there with as his sounding board, or just as the comforting arm around his shoulder. She was the reason he, as a seventeen year old boy had so much faith in love.  
Troy's eye caught of Kelsi's hand as she shifted. Delicate glittering diamonds sparkled on her fourth finger, and Troy's stomach twinged funnily as he thought of the day Ryan would have put them there. A _wedding._ He had missed a wedding of one of the people who had been so close to him.  
Kelsi sighed softly and Troy's eyes widened. Kelsi's small, lean hand rested gently, deliberately over her stomach and a unbidden, lazy smile was resting on her lips.  
A Wildcat baby. Who would have ever thought that Kelsi would be the first? Would he miss that important event in their lives too?

'So uh…does Ryan know?' Troy asked in a low voice, leaning in close to Kelsi.

Kelsi's head snapped around in surprise, 'What?'

'Does Ryan know?' Troy repeated, 'About…you know,'

He waved his hand vaguely in the direction of her hand and Kelsi's eyes widened in horror.

'I…uh…I don't know what you're talking about!' she stammered, 'I don't under…stand,'

Troy laughed, 'I take that as a no then?'

Kelsi stopped her protests, staring at him for a long moment, her eyes probing and serious. _Should she tell him or not?_

'I'm not going to say anything to anyone,' Troy promised, holding his hand to his chest, 'Scouts honour,'

Kelsi frowned distrustfully at him, still toying with uncertainty.

'Seriously Kels,' he assured, 'Even if I did tell anyone, who was going to believe that half-crazed, ex-friend?'

She nodded then, 'This is true…'

'So…'

Kelsi's serious expression cracked, and in it's place came a shy smile, 'No… he doesn't not yet,'

'How far along are you?'

'Twelve weeks…' she murmured.

He smiled as Kelsi's hand moved down to rest on her still-flat stomach maternally. She practically glowed as she stroked the skin and she was lost to thought again.

'Well… congratulations,' Troy whispered, 'Ryan will be thrilled,'

Chad snorted as he awoke abruptly, ripping Kelsi and Troy out of their moment. His eyes opened slowly, his face contorted in a frown as he groaned.

'God…too…early…'

'Morning Chad!' Kelsi's crystal clear voice called out to him, 'Apparently you slept well…'

Chad blinked blearily, barely even looking at them, 'What…time? Why…you…up?'

'It's 5am Chad,' Kelsi replied gently, 'And I'm awake because…I always get up early…'

'Too…early…'

'Yes Chad, this _is _early for you,'

'Bolton…'

Troy chuckled, raising a hand in a greeting to the grumbling man, 'Morning Chad,'

'I hate mornings…'

He groaned again, stretching his limbs out, cramped from another night spent in a plastic chair.

Disrupted by her fiancé's movements, Taylor stirred, letting out a soft sigh. Her eyes flickered open and she pulled a displeased face. Despite his previous sleepiness, Chad's face lit up as he heard her voice.

'Good morning,' he whispered, his eyes softening to look at her.

'M-morning,' she mumbled groggily in return.

Gently Chad cupped her chin, pulling her in for a chaste kiss. Their hands linked fondly and she smiled as they broke away. Something in Troy's heart cried as he watched the display. It was a scene so familiar, so nostalgic, one he used to know so well, one he hadn't known for many years. Was he really that alone?

'Did you sleep well?' Chad probed genuinely.

'Well, as well as one sleeps on cold plastic,'

Chad pulled a face, nodding knowingly, 'Well…yes,'

'God…Danforth. Must you talk so loud?' another groan came.

Troy looked over to the corner of the room where Sharpay was whining. Her eyes were heavy lidded, barely open enough to fix Chad with a deathly glare. Her glossy hair was mussed, sticking up at awkward angles. Her lips were pursed, certain to display her contempt for the man who had awoken her.

'Do you have to do the whole…_booming voice thing?_' Sharpay demanded scathingly, 'I was having a perfectly pleasant dream before you!'

Chad had the decency to look remotely terrified, recoiling slightly at the vicious girl's snarl.

'Uh…sorry?' he said hesitantly, 'I…didn't mean to wake you?'

Sharpay growled at him and he clenched the arms of his chair.

'Easy Shar,' Zeke laughed quietly, joining the conversation. His eyes were still closed despite the smile curling his lips. He yawned widely displaying rows of white teeth to the group. He then sat up, rubbing his eyes furiously before turning to his friends.

'Is anyone else hungry? I'm starving?'

'Food?'

Ryan was suddenly awake, and incredibly alert. It seemed, Ryan hadn't changed from his years and youth and was most definitely one of the most chipper morning people Troy had ever known.

'Good morning Ryan!' Kelsi trilled, upon seeing her husband awake. She immediately laced her hand tightly with his.

Ryan reached up to pull her face down to his, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

'Morning,'

Troy felt like he was intruding. It was a morning routine for them, something they had been doing since they were nineteen and were going to keep doing it for the rest of their lives.

That could have been him.

That was the sharpest slap that he could have received, and the thought bolting across his brain left him breathless. That could have been him.  
If… if… _if. _If he hadn't left, if he hadn't said goodbye, if he had worked his way around it… if there had been another way. If there had, he would be a different man. He would have been a married man of five years, he would have come home to the same woman every night. He would have fallen asleep with her in his arms and woken up the same way. If only…

'Okay, so it's settled,' Chad cried, clapping his hands together, 'Breakfast!'

Troy snapped out of his reverie, to see most of his group getting to their feet amidst mumbles and mutters.

'What…what's happening?' Troy asked, bewildered.

'We're going for some breakfast,' Chad explained excitedly.

Troy's eyes flickered over the group, 'Even Shar?'

Sharpay was still dozing whilst upright, half-asleep, supporting only by Zeke's shoulder and his arm around her waist.

'Yeah…' Ryan said sarcastically, 'Even Shar…'

'You should go too,' Kelsi advised Troy gently, 'I'll stay here, just in case Gabi wakes up or whatever… you go have some breakfast,'

'Are you sure?' Troy asked earnestly.

'Sure, of course. Go Ahead,'

And so it was decided. Troy hastened to Zeke's side, the one not claimed by Sharpay and offered him a vague smile.

'Ok, let's get out of here!'

* * *

As the rest of the group dispersed, Kelsi settled back into her chair, unwinding the cords of her i-Pod. So Troy knew now…

Despite everything she had believed about that man for the past five years; that he was a bastard, a liar and the scum of the earth, she knew that he wasn't one to tell secrets. He wasn't going to let it slip to Ryan or any of the group. As a celebrity, privacy was at least one thing Troy understood. And that brought Kelsi back to her biggest issue; how did she tell everyone? It wasn't an announcement that could be made lightly and despite the years she spent with Sharpay, she still wasn't one for grandiose or flamboyant scenes. So how did she tell him?

_Say, Ry…that cramped one bedroom apartment of ours…well, there's always room for more right?_

No… it just wasn't something that she could announce casually across the dinner table. But he needed to know.

Kelsi was dragged from her cluttered thoughts by a sharp rap on her shoulder. She blinked, snapping back to reality, taking in her surroundings.  
Present time. Hospital. Nurse. Talking to her.  
Ripping her earphones from her ears, she looked up at the nurse who was mid-sentence.

'…screaming and thrashing. We think a familiar voice will calm her down, help her wake up. Would you follow me?'

Gabriella.

'What's…'

The nurse gave her an odd look, one that would usually be reserved for psychiatric patients and young children.

'She's having…a _nightmare,'_ the nurse said slowly, obviously doubting her choice in person, 'Will. You. Follow. Me?'

'Of course!' Kelsi answered instantly, comprehension flooding her face.

Gabriella. Nightmare. She needed her help.  
Quickly she hopped to the nurse's side, chasing her through a maze of corridors. The nurse was completely silent, one hand on her pager, the other raking a mass of brown hair off her face.  
She stopped abruptly, just short of Gabriella's room. From inside Kelsi could hear terrified shrieks and her heart twisted. _Gabriella needed her help._

'Ok…' the nurse said calmly, ignoring the sounds coming from behind the door, 'We need you to talk to Gabriella, urge her to calm down. She's thrashing around a fair bit so you need to be wary of that. Is everything clear?'

Kelsi nodded soberly, biting her lip. She just wanted to get into that room…

The nurse leant on the door, swinging it open. The volume of the shrieking increased deafeningly but nevertheless Kelsi soldiered on. Without further instruction, she hastened to Gabriella's bedside, surveying the scene.  
Gabriella was in her bed, her dark eyes wide open and unseeing as high pitched, blood curdling screams projected from her mouth. She thrashed helplessly on the bed, like a fish out of water, gasping for air, and it was so oddly reminiscent of the day she seized that it made Kelsi's skin crawl.

'Miss! Just, please try to calm her down! Or we'll have to sedate her!' the doctor bellowed, wincing over the incessant noise, 'I don't want to do that!'

Kelsi nodded, reaching for Gabriella's hand which was being flung away from her body. Deftly Kelsi captured it, holding it tightly to her chest.

'Gabs,' she murmured, 'Gabs, it's okay. It's just a dream. It's just a dream.'

Gabriella's seizing nor screaming ceased and Kelsi searched for another method.

Gently she stroked the top of Gabriella's hand, whispering soothing things to her, 'Come on Gabs. Wake up, it's all okay. It's okay,'

If anything the screaming rose in more decibels and disheartened, Kelsi fought the urge to burst into tears.

'Uh…uh…' she murmured, 'Uhm. Ok…'

She took a breath, glancing surreptitiously around the room. If what she was about to do didn't work then she would look like the _biggest _idiot in front of all of Gabriella's nurses and doctors. But there was the chance that it would work and…she was running out of ideas.

The idea of Gabriella being sedated made Kelsi's skin crawl and she was only faced with one choice. She had to do it.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kelsi braced herself. _Now._

'Uh… _we're soaring, flying, there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach…' _Kelsi began shakily, her voice cracking on one note embarrassingly.

She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she was certain that she heard the screaming quieten just a fraction. Maybe that was wishful thinking on her behalf.  
But no… the doctors and nurses, whilst looking mildly taken aback at Kelsi's unexpected gesture, nodded at her encouragingly.

'Keep doing that,' the doctor urged.

Kelsi's eyes flickered to him briefly. Obviously she wasn't the only one who heard something change.

'Um… _when I hear my favourite song, I know that we belong, oh you are the music in me, it's living in all of us and it's brought us here because, you are the music in…'_

This time the screaming quietened considerably and the nurses were beginning to smile widely.

'_It's our last chance, to share the stage, before we go our separate ways, high school wasn't meant to last forever… all I wanna do is be with you, be with you, there's nothing we can't do, I just wanna be with you, only you…'_

And then there was silence, and Gabriella's body fell limp, shaking against the mattress, drained from twenty long minutes of fighting the demons only she could see.

Kelsi stopped, mid-lyric to squeeze her friend's hand.

'Gabs,' she murmured, 'Gabs, it's okay now. It's okay,'

Gabriella's head lolled to the side and Kelsi met a pair of exhausted, blood shot chocolate eyes. Gabriella's cheeks were tracked with shiny paths where her tears had run their path and her lips were chapped and turned down dangerously at the corners.

Kelsi's heart stopped for a second. She hadn't even considered what would happen after she had calmed Gabriella down. What did she say?

'Hey,' she whispered, 'You…you had a bad dream,'

Kelsi had never felt stupider. How was Gabriella supposed to understand?

Gabriella groaned weakly, bringing a bandaged hand to touch her forehead weakly.

'What…' she wheezed feebly, 'What…'

Kelsi's heart leapt. English. That meant…that meant she was getting better.

'What happened?' Kelsi clarified, deciphering Gabriella's meaning.

Gabriella attempted to nod her head but stopped, screwing up her face.

'Don't…' Kelsi said quickly, 'Don't try and move your head too much… it's okay,'

Gabriella fell still, staring at her imploringly and Kelsi glanced around the room at the dispersing hospital staff. Was it her place to tell Gabriella?

One of the nurses shrugged, 'It's probably easier that she hears it from a friend. Go ahead,'

Kelsi waited patiently for all the nurses to leave before she turned back to Gabriella.

'Ok, Gabi… I'm going to tell you what happened. I don't want to you to panic, otherwise we'll have to call the doctors back in here again, so, just remember that everything's going to be alright ok?'

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders weakly, 'Yes?'

'Ok, do you remember where you are?'

Gabriella's brow creased with concern as she struggled with a brain littered with fragments of thoughts and memories that didn't really belong to her.

'You're in Albuquerque,' Kelsi continued gently.

Comprehension flickered in Gabriella's eyes, 'Taylor. Chad,'

'Yeah,' Kelsi smiled encouragingly, 'You came out with Tay and Chad,'

'So… Albuquerque?'

'Yeah,'

'But…how…what?'

Kelsi bit her lip, bracing herself for the inevitable outcome. How do you tell someone that they were in a near fatal car crash?

'You were at a bar with a friend one night and he was driving you home. And there was a drunk driver who was driving a truck,'

Gabriella's face was contorting with fear and panic, and Kelsi squeezed her hand, 'Honey, you were in a car crash but…'

Gabriella arched her back against the bed and Kelsi's heart leapt to her throat. Was she seizing? What she flatlining again? For one terrifying moment Gabriella's eyes glassed over and she stared at the ceiling, seeing only the thoughts flashing before her.  
When she fell against the bed again, she turned back to Kelsi her eyes wide and scared, like a deer caught in the headlights. Kelsi couldn't even begin to comprehend the layers of terror that Gabriella was tangled in.

'Troy,' she uttered.

And then Kelsi understood. Gabriella remembered.

'Troy,' she repeated, her hoarse voice taking on a new, panicky edge.

'Honey, Troy's…'

'Is Troy…'

Kelsi stroked the top of Gabriella's hand affectionately, 'Honey, Troy is okay. He's _fine_, he's been worried sick about you,'

'Where's Troy?'

Kelsi frowned, still concerned about the urgency in Gabriella's voice, 'I, I think he's in the cafeteria, getting breakfast or something…'

'Breakfast?' she croaked, 'How long…'

'You're accident was Monday night,' Kelsi said gently, 'It's… it's Thursday morning,'

Gabriella let out a strangled cried, and she covered her eyes with her hand, 'Oh my…'

'You were rushed into emergency brain surgery,' Kelsi continued, despite the choked sobs that were shaking Gabriella's frail frame, 'And then you were in a coma for almost three days,'

Gabriella let out another heart wrenching sob, and Kelsi squeezed her hand.

'Gabi, it's okay now. You're awake, you're alive, you came back to us.'

Gabriella quietened her cries, removing her hands from her face until Kelsi could see her again. Silent tears streaked down her cheeks and she stared helplessly at Kelsi.

'Come on. It's okay now, and everyone's dying to talk to you. You have no idea how worried we've been,'

'I…I don't remember anything,' Gabriella croaked quietly, her words stilted and thick as she struggled with her healing brain, 'There's…there's an entire portion of my life that…I can't remember. All I can see is…is the car. We were on the way back into Albuquerque and we were just talking and laughing. And then… and then there's nothing. And now suddenly it's…_Thursday?_'

'Do, do you want me to go get Troy?' Kelsi suggested, 'So you can see him. He's… he's been wrecked,'

Gabriella reached up to touch the edge of the bandages swathing her head. The tears reappeared in her eyes and Kelsi saw the firm resolution before she heard the answer.

'No. No… it's just… no,'

'Gabi, this has been so hard on him. All he wants is to know that you're okay, that it isn't his fault,'

'I just…I can't,' Gabriella insisted.

Kelsi sighed, she wasn't going to fight with a sick person. Particularly not Gabi.

'Ok… well, is there anyone I can get for you? Anything I can do? How do you feel?'

Gabriella blinked balefully, another yawn escaping from her mouth, 'I… I don't know,' she croaked.

'How about you sleep ok sweetie,' Kelsi murmured decisively, 'The doctor thinks that sleep is the best thing for you. It will help heal your brain. I'll go tell everyone else that you're okay now though,'

As Kelsi got to her feet, Gabriella's eyes slid shut and a soft groan passed through her lips.

Kelsi squeezed her hand affectionately, 'We'll be back as soon as you wake up again ok?'

'Uhu…' she murmured in reply, already succumbing to the pull of sleep.

Kelsi watched, her heart wrenching as she saw a single tear slip out from underneath her eyelid. Gabriella's face tensed and she gripped Kelsi's hand a little tighter.

'Honey…'

'Just, I'll… I'll see you soon,' Gabriella whispered.

'O-Ok then…'

With that, despite everything her heart was screaming, Kelsi swept from the room. Now she had to deal with Troy. This would be fun…

* * *

By the time Kelsi reached the cafeteria a joyous celebration was well under way. It had been days since there was anything to smile about and now there was nothing that was going to stop them.

'Small person!' Chad cried ecstatically as he saw her approached, 'Hey!'

'Hi Chad,' Kelsi laughed, giving him a high five as she passed, 'Good to see you're in a good mood!'

'What isn't there to be happy about?' he smiled, kicking back luxuriously, '_Everything's _going to a-ok.'

Taylor rolled her eyes, 'The sunshine and rainbows is beginning to wear on my cynical and bitter, inner-politician,'

Kelsi giggled again as she reached her husband. There she stood behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Instantly he reached up to grasp her hand, offering her his coffee with another. Kelsi waved away the offer and instead chose to press a chaste kiss to his lips.

Ryan looked mildly taken aback at her rejection of his coffee but clearly shook it off as he returned her kiss reverently.

They only broke away when Sharpay made obnoxious gagging noises and Ryan looked up, frowning disapprovingly at his twin.

'Shar… do you mind? I had to put up with an entire year of masculine groans coming from the room next door to mine!'

Sharpay flushed a curious shade of pink and Zeke cleared his throat, his eyes sliding away from anyone who attempted to make eye contact.

Taylor glanced around the group who were staring expectantly at the couple, waiting for them to make _any _comment and decided to dispel the awkwardness.

'So, what are you doing down here Kels? I thought you wanted to wait for Gabs?'

Kelsi screwed up her face, sticking her hands in the pocket of her hoodie, 'Uh…well, that's the thing,'

Instantly everyone was on edge, particularly Troy who leant forward, his eyes suddenly serious, intense and worried.

'What's the matter? Is she okay? What's happening?'

'She's okay,' Kelsi assured, holding out a hand to cease his panicking, 'She's speaking English now,'

Chad whooped loudly, clapping his hands together, 'That's great!'

'And, she can remember the car accident,'

It was Troy's turn to grin and cheer loudly, 'I can go see her!'

'About that…'

Troy was silent as he turned back to her, 'About _what?_'

Kelsi winced; why was _she _the one to tell him?

'Um… well… she actually doesn't _want _to see you…'

Kelsi's words hung in the air and Troy reeled back like she'd slapped him. His face fell and he ducked his head.

'Well…uh…that's…understandable…I….guess,' he murmured gruffly, 'I'm…'

'Troy,' Kelsi murmured, leaning forward to capture his hand, 'She doesn't want to see _anyone_ at the moment anyway. She's just… exhausted.'

Sharpay's head shot up and she looked mildly surprised, 'She's sleeping,'

Taylor frowned, looking a little perturbed, 'I guess she needs all the sleep she can get. It can only be good for her injuries…'

Chad was indignant, 'She doesn't want to see…_any _of us?'

'Seriously, none of us?' Ryan repeated, turning to look at his wife.

Kelsi shook her head sadly, 'It's not that she doesn't want to see you but she's exhausted and she's… she's…'

'She's what?'

Chad looked hurt and confused at Gabriella's blatant rejection. He hadn't been expecting that.

Kelsi winced. She hated the fact that she was exposing Gabriella's feelings like this, but if it was the only way the boys would understand…

'She's feeling exposed,' Kelsi blurted softly, 'She's feeling self conscious and different and… she was in a _coma. _That would be a lot to wrap your head around,'

Chad shrugged resignedly and Kelsi knew that beyond all he understood. He understood that Gabriella was tired, he understood that she was embarrassed but all he wanted, like all of them, was to see her alive and ok.

'Do you reckon we'll be able to see her later?' he asked gruffly.

Kelsi shrugged, 'I'm sure she'll be happy to once she's awake again,'

Chad nodded, heaving a sigh, 'Yeah, ok then… I might just…'

He trailed off uncomfortably, shuffling to his feet, 'I might just go get some more coffee…'

As Chad lumbered off, the rest of the group descended into a deep thoughtful silence. All the previous cheer and camaraderie that had been present before was now drained and Kelsi hated that she was the one to do that. Sharpay's cheeks were no longer glowing peacefully and instead she stared down into her empty yoghurt container, her eyes blank and hollow. Ryan was gnawing on his bottom lip, a frown delicately gracing his features as if he was still trying to mull it all over in his head and Taylor was staring straight ahead at the opposite wall with a stony face. God only knew what was going on in her head…  
Kelsi glanced at Troy, who was pacing back and forth.

'She doesn't want to see me,' he murmured, raking a hand through his hair, 'She doesn't want to see me… she _doesn't _want to see me.'

He was testing out the words, placing the inflections on different words each time trying to make sense of them.

'Troy…' Kelsi tried pleadingly, 'She never said that she didn't want to see you. She's just… she needs time to think.'

'She… I just… I knew that it wasn't going to be easy once she woke up. But I thought that despite… despite _everything _between us that she would be okay long enough to see me…'

'Troy…'

'I can't… I _need _to see her. I've waited here and I need to see her.'

Kelsi sighed, realizing that her efforts with Troy were fruitless. She should leave him be. Instead she took a seat beside her husband who was still frozen in his thoughtful position. Gently she wrapped an arm around his back, resting her face against his warm shoulder.

Things would be okay. Things would turn around soon. Gabriella would be fine, Gabriella would want to see them all and eventually life would go on just like it had before. Everything was going to be okay.

Kelsi eventually lost track of time, kept only aware by the thudding of her husband's heartbeats that she could hear, so she was shocked when Chad spoke again.

'And now we wait again,' he murmured as he sat back down at the table, 'At least this time with the hope of good news,'

Kelsi nodded, suddenly morose by the group's mood, 'Yeah. That's something at least,'

Chad was silent, looking around pensively, 'Speaking of hope… where's Bolton?'

Kelsi whipped around to find the spot that Troy had been pacing completely empty. He had vanished without a single word, or the briefest alert to any of the group.

Where had he gone?

* * *

'Ugh... god…'

As Gabriella came to, Troy tensed in his seat. He had been sitting by her beside for hours, watching the delicate rise and fall of her chest, thanking some higher being every time it happened.  
He had had plenty of time to consider what he was doing, and now he knew that in this moment, being here was the right thing for _both _of them. He needed this and he hoped that she would too.  
She awoke slowly, groaning, lifting a bandaged hand to her bruised and battered face. Her eyelids fluttered and she let out a soft whimper.  
Immediately Troy was on high alert. Was she okay? Did she have enough pain meds? Should he call a nurse? What should he do?

And then her eyes slid open all the way, revealing the gorgeous deep and rich brown that he had been waiting all this time for. Albeit her eyes were weary, guarded and red but nevertheless they were they eyes he had wondered if he would ever see again.  
In the comfortable twilight zone between sleep and completely lucidity Gabriella stared at him through hazy eyes. When she yawned, her eyes had focused vaguely.

'Troy…' she mumbled, 'Troy…'

He cracked a waveringly brave smile. He needed this. He needed this.

'Hey…' he murmured, 'Uh… how do you feel?'

She squinted at him disapprovingly, 'Like I got hit by a truck,' she rasped.

Troy could barely force a choked laugh for her sake. That was incredibly morbid.

She shifted her body slightly, hiding her face behind her hands, 'I don't want to see you,' she whispered.

Those words stung more than Troy could have imagined. They had hurt enough coming out of Kelsi's mouth, but… from Gabriella herself?

He felt as though his stomach had been forcibly ripped from his body but he continued nevertheless, 'Gabi… Gabi I just need to see you,'

She whimpered and her hands shifted to cover the crown of her head, swathed in bandages.

'Well evidently you've seen me,' she murmured, venom lacing her words viciously, 'You can go now,'

'Gabi,' he replied softly, trying in vain to reach out for her hand, 'Please…'

'Troy!' she sobbed quietly, her voice cracking, 'Please, _go,_'

Her shoulders shook and Troy's heart wrenched. If he was doing this… he should probably go.

He pushed himself to his feet, disappointment and the beginnings of grief pulling at all his limbs. He couldn't do it. He couldn't walk away.

'Gabi,' he repeated, more forcefully this time, turning back to face her.

'Troy, _please_!' she begged hysterically, '_Please._'

'No,' he insisted, 'Not until I'm done talking,'

'Troy please stop! I can't handle this, I'm…'

'I know you're feeling embarrassed. I know that you think you look…'

'Hideous!' she half-screamed, 'I don't even look like me,'

'You don't know that,' Troy reasoned softly, 'You haven't seen a mirror yet, and you haven't even asked anyone,'

'How could I? What's anyone going to say?'

Troy took a step towards her, 'They're going to say… they're going to say…'

Gently he pried her good hand away from her tear stained face and he smiled, 'They're going to say that you're beautiful no matter what. And it's not…it's not just the physical thing,' he promised, 'You're alive and you're able to talk to us. That is a miracle in itself, we thought that would never happen again. And _that _is beautiful.'

Gabriella whimpered, closing her eyes to avoid his intent gaze.

'And you're still you,' he whispered, tracing a gentle thumb over the curve of her cheek to capture a wayward tear, 'You're still the same Gabriella whom I met again in the bar. You're still the same Gabriella from high school. And _that _is beautiful,'

He smiled down at her, withdrawing his hands, 'Gabriella, I, and everyone who loves you thinks you are the most beautiful person in the world. Never, ever doubt that. And… either way, I brought you a present,'

Gabriella cracked her eyes open narrowly, to eye him suspiciously.

'It's a good present,' he promised, 'It's actually kinda silly but… still,'

Troy turned around and fished the gift off his chair, 'Just something until you can find a better alternative,'

He placed the gift in front of her gaze and she surveyed it, before raising a sceptical eyebrow.

'A Lakers cap?'

Troy smiled boyishly, 'A Lakers cap. Something for you to wear, just in case you wanted to,'

She was silent for a moment, still eyeing the cap. And then her face split into a weary grin, 'Thanks Troy. That is…so sweet,'

Her eyes sparkled with tears suddenly and she smiled at him, 'I can't believe you thought of me like that…'

She stretched out her good hand to accept the cap gratefully. Wincing she shifted in her bed before gingerly letting it perch on top of her damaged head. She cracked another weak, weary smile and this time Troy grinned along with her.

'Ok, now… that's sorted. Can I talk to you now?' he asked.

She hummed affirmatively, 'You look okay. I'm glad you're okay,'

'You have no idea how glad I am that _you're okay_,' Troy murmured in reply.

And like that conversation slipped into an easy pattern as they watched each other, healing a little bit with the knowledge that their lives weren't lost forever.

Troy knew this was the calm before the storm and there was no way that this friendship would last, it couldn't not the gentle way it was now, but he celebrated in this moment and clung onto his moment of peace.

* * *

"_Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it" _

– _Tori Amos_

* * *

**This was one of the hardest chapters to write. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how many angles I took the issue from I **_**could not **_**get the words to flow. Thank god its' finally written! I'm sorry the chapter's so late, I have five solid days of exams *sobs* and it's a little intense at the moment… but once this week is over not only will Sims 3 be out, but my exams will be finished and I'll be close to a three week holiday. YAY! So then I'll be able to update and write a little more frequently. Please review, (pretty please?) it'll make this week so much better!**


	16. Something Real

'This… this just won't do,'

Troy grinned wolfishly as he watched his ex-best friend, flabbergasted, stuttering for words as he surveyed Gabriella.

'I… I can't let you wear that… that _thing,'_

Chad gestured pathetically at the Lakers' cap perched on Gabriella's head and his lip curled up in disgust, 'You can't wear that. You just can't,'

'Chad…' Taylor murmured warningly, grasping her fiancé's elbow gently, 'Gabi wants the cap.'

'If it's a cap she wants then I'll get her a cap! Just not a bloody… L-L…'

He choked on the word and the disgust on his face grew, 'You are not wearing a Lakers' cap,'

Gabriella giggled feebly, offering Chad her undamaged hand, 'Chad… you know I own most of the Knicks merchandise and more than proudly wear it during the season but… I do what I gotta do,'

Chad flopped down into a spare seat by her bed, clasping her hand affectionately despite his pouting.

'Still stupid,' he grumbled, 'Lakers. Of _all _teams, Lakers?'

A smile pulled at the corners of Gabriella's pale lips, 'I am very sorry Chad,' she rasped unapologetically.

'Sweetie, I'm just so glad you're okay,' Taylor interjected, cutting off her fiancé's further attempts to curse the hat off Gabriella's head, 'I was so… worried,'

Taylor voice hitched on the final word and her strong, chipper exterior she had put up for Gabriella faltered. She bit her lip and her eyes filled with tears.

'Tay…' she whispered.

Taylor set herself down on Gabriella's bed gingerly and curled her fingers around her frail arm.

'God…' she whispered waveringly, 'What if… what if we lost you?'

Troy's stomach wrenched. He hated thinking like that, because it was the only thoughts he had had since she woke up. What if she hadn't woken up? How would life have ever gone on again?

'Don't,' Gabriella replied just as softly, 'Don't think like that. You _didn't _lose me. I'm still here,'

That statement caused Taylor to let out a choked sob, 'But we were so close,'

'But not close enough,' Gabriella joked weakly.

'What happened to your room?' Chad asked abruptly with blatant ignorance of the previous conversation.

Troy looked up, for the first time surveying the room rather than the occupant. Standard hospital, sterile off-white walls, tiny meshed window and…  
On the wall closest to the door were the beginnings of a collage. Photos plastered the wall, of Gabriella, Sharpay, Chad, Ryan and Kelsi. Zeke appeared from time to time and Troy was taken aback to see one small image of himself almost hidden behind another photo of Sharpay.

Taylor snorted, her tears ceasing, 'Sharpay. Typical,'

Gabriella let out a soft chuckle, 'That's really sweet…' she murmured.

Taylor rolled her eyes, 'I wonder when she did this… I can't believe I didn't notice this before. I have some photos in my purse, I'll stick them up when I get the chance,'

Chad was suddenly on his feet, charging to the door.

'Where are you going?' she frowned.

Chad turned back to face her, offering her a seriously perturbed frown, 'Gabs, I gotta do something about that cap. I'll be back soon,'

Chad lumbered from the room and Gabriella burst into peals of weak, coughing giggles. Taylor stared at her for a long moment before eventually cracking and succumbing to the giggles as well.

Troy smiled, watching the two best friends collapse against the bed. For the first time since she had stormed into the waiting room all those hazy days ago, she was truly being a Taylor that he recognized.

'Ow… ow… ow…' Gabriella moaned, gasping for breath between giggles, 'Oh, ow,'

Her laughter slowed and she moved to grasp her head instead. Taylor's laughter subsided also and Troy leapt to her side.

'Are you okay?' he asked, concern coursing through his veins.

She winced and her frame tensed, 'It's… it's just sore,' she murmured, 'To be… expected I supposed,'

'I should go get the doctor, I'll go get the doctor,' Troy said decisively, 'I'm gonna go get him now,'

'Troy there's no need…' she began feebly.

'Yes there is, I'll be back,'

Troy swept from the room hurriedly, already calling out for a doctor.

As soon as Troy was gone, Taylor got up from Gabriella's bed and began fussing with the sheets that bound Gabriella to the bed.

'Tay… stop fussing,' she insisted, 'It's okay. I just have limitations now,'

Taylor looked as if she was hovering on the verge of tears. Her face was hard and guarded and her teeth were clamped down on her lower lip so hard that Gabriella was afraid she would actually draw blood.

'Tay, please,' she begged, reaching a weak hand out for her best friends, 'I'm okay. I… I'm just out of surgery apparently, I should take it easy,'

'Yeah you should Gabi!' Taylor turned around, 'And I should have _told _you to take easy because I almost lost you three days ago!'

Gabriella heaved a sigh, her fingers finally lacing with her best friend's. With a gentle tug she pulled Taylor back down on the bed. The other girl heaved a sigh, slumping miserably as she fell.

'Tay… I… I don't know what to say,' she murmured.

'Gabi, you… you don't look like you,' Taylor replied sadly, 'You look broken and fragile and… you look sick,'

Gabriella offered her a half, wavering smile, 'That's because I _am _sick I guess… but I'm gonna get better. It's gonna be alright,'

Taylor let out a choked laugh, which bordered on a sob, 'That's my line,'

Gabriella shrugged, 'We'll take it in turns comforting each other,'

She then held out her hand to Taylor, who shuffled on the bed so she could gather Gabriella's tiny frame in her arms.

She buried her head in Gabriella's neck, the familiar overwhelmed rush of emotion setting in.

'Oh god Gabi…' she cried, 'I just can't understand…'

It was too much, too soon. One day Gabriella was fine, then she was dying, and now… apparently, she was fine again. Troy was back in their lives, Chad was fighting with Troy, Chad and Troy were friends… It was all too much to handle. She needed something normal.

'Ok, I've come up with a solu…'

Chad barged into the room, a cheerful broad grin on his face. As he crossed over the threshold he froze, and the smile slid off his face like melted honey.

In an instant, a millions emotions flashed across his face; confusion, concern and fear before he finally settled on protective, a frown furrowing his brow. His shoulder's hunched and he crouched forward, in an almost defensive stance. He literally dropped everything that was in his arms and shot forward to Gabriella and Taylor.

'What happened, is everything alright?' he questioned seriously.

'It's fine Chad,' Gabriella murmured in reply, 'I promise,'

'Gabs, are you okay? Do you need a doctor? Do you need…'

'Troy's getting a doctor,' she promised hoarsely, 'It's fine!'

'Then why are you both crying?' Chad demanded, scooping his fiancée up in his arms.

He sat down in the place on Gabriella's bed that Taylor had just vacated and pulled her onto his lap. Automatically Taylor and Gabriella's hands intertwined and Chad reached out to curl his fingers around Gabriella other, frail wrist. They formed a haphazard half circle, taking solace in the things that they knew. The three of them, together, each other's closest family. Gabriella was alive, Taylor was still wearing her ring, and Chad loved them both. Things were going to be okay, even if they were never going to be normal again.

* * *

'Ok Ms Montez!' the doctor announced cheerfully when he walked into the room twenty minutes later, 'Sorry about the delay,'

As the doctor entered, Gabriella, Taylor and Chad's embrace broke, and they all turned to face him.

Troy's heart ached as he watched her eyes fill with vague confusion, but nevertheless offered a weak smile to the doctor.

'My name's Dr Meyers,' he offered, grasping Gabriella's good hand in his, 'I was the one who performed the surgery, and I will be seeing you through post-op,'

Gabriella blinked and shifted her head an inch in acknowledgment.

'Hi Dr Meyers,'

'So tell me,' the doctor began, sitting down beside Gabriella on her bed, 'Have you been having any issues with pain?'

Gabriella winced, 'I guess it's kinda sore but… nothing _too _bad,'

The doctor scribbled down on his clipboard, 'That's good news. But if the pain does gain intensity tell the nurses and they'll start you on a dose of painkillers, ok?'

Troy watched Gabriella's face, serious and thoughtful as she listened to the doctor's advice.

'Do you think there'll be any permanent damage?' Taylor asked, 'Will… will everything be ok?'

Dr Meyer looked up at Taylor with a wry smile of a man who had seen many lives lived and lost, 'Well so far it's all good news. The fact that her speech and memory is in tact means that there's not brain damage from her head injury.'

'But?'

'But… we you haven't taken into account the emotional side of the ordeal. Car crash _and _brain surgery is a lot for one person to handle,'

'That's not all she has to handle,' Taylor mumbled, glaring pointedly at Troy.

'What was that?' the doctor asked.

'Nothing, nothing.'

The doctor then turned back to Gabriella, 'Gabriella, you need to focus on healing. I just need to make sure you know that this is not the time for independence. You have very loyal friends and family, I should know they've been in my waiting room on my tail since you got here,'

Gabriella offered him a feeble giggle, 'Sounds like them,'

'You just need to make sure that you take advantage of that ok?' the doctor said seriously, 'Don't leave them outside,'

Gabriella nodded, 'I know. I won't,'

'I have to get going,' he said suddenly, getting to his feet, 'Do you have any questions before I leave?'

'When can I take this thing off?' Gabriella asked, gesturing towards her head.

The doctor laughed, 'The Lakers cap? I assure you, you can take that off at any time,'

Chad cheered in response and Troy rolled his eyes at him.

'The bandage however,' he continued, still chuckling, 'Can be removed soon. I'll come back tomorrow and check the site, and I'll get back to you,'

'Thankyou,' she smiled.

'Take it easy and I'll be back for rounds tomorrow morning,'

'Will do,'

With that the doctor turned on his heel and swept from the room. Taylor turned back to Gabriella, a huge excited grin on her face.

'You're gonna be _fine _Gabi!' she squealed, 'The doctor said so!'

Gabriella had flopped back against the pillow, drained from the pressure exerted with her intense concentration. Her chapped lips curved up into a smile and she sighed.

'Yeah… eventually,'

'I'll go get Shar!' Taylor cried, 'Everyone else will really want to hear the good news!'

Taylor scurried out of the room leaving Gabriella and the two boys. Gabriella lay on her bed, Troy hovering on one side, Chad on the other.

'Chad, you said you'd solved your problem?' Gabriella questioned, rolling her head to look at him.

Chad's face suddenly split into a wide grin, the grin of the kid who'd gotten cookies for breakfast. He bent down, scooping something off the ground.

'Yes, I've rectified our… _issue_ here,'

As Chad said the word he screwed his face up and glared at Troy as if he had been forced to swallow something sour.

'How?' she laughed softly, happily playing along with Chad's game.

'With… this!'

Chad threw his arms open unfurling a large grey piece of material with a triumphant cheer. Troy and Gabriella surveyed it for a moment, before Gabriella giggled and Troy rolled his eyes again.

'A Knicks sweatshirt?' Troy sighed condescendingly, 'That's just plain immature,'

'I'll give you immature when she's wearing _my _team in bigger letters that yours,' Chad volleyed back childishly.

'Ok, ok,'

Gabriella's rough raspy voice interrupted their escalating banter and she held her arms above her head.

'Fair's fair,' she shrugged, 'Help me put it on,'

Chad grinned widely and stepped forward, easing the sweatshirt over her head. He manoeuvred around wires and tubes, eventually settling the oversized shirt on her too-frail shoulders.

The surgery and gruelling hardship that her body had undergone was suddenly visible as the cloth hung off her frame. The sleeves draped well over the tips of her fingers and with all the grey fleece she seemed to disappear. Troy's heart wrenched as he finally took the chance to look at her.

Her face was gaunt, her cheekbones alarmingly prominent and her dark eyes were dull and bloodshot. The doctor was right, she still did need healing.

'Here, let me help,' Troy offered, jumping to her side.

Immediately he set about rolling up the sleeves of the sweatshirt, so that her hands were visible. Gabriella flinched as his fingers touched her cold flesh and Troy withdrew them.

'Uh… sorry, sorry,' he stuttered, jumping back.

She drew the baggy material closer around herself, 'No it's okay… it's just… never mind. Whatever,'

Troy stumbled back, trying not to feel as if she had slapped him. It was worse, she had flinched.

'Troy…' she began, an apology heavy in her voice.

'No,' he said, attempting at blasé, 'Sorry… I was…'

'Troy it's not like that!' she insisted, 'It's just…'

She trailed off, her eyes remorseful and Troy understood. He had been with her, beside her for days now, being with her didn't feel odd any more.

But this was Gabriella first day with him and he was _still _the ex-fiancé. To her, they were back at square one.

He backed himself into the seat beside her bed, 'I'll be over here if you need me,' he informed Chad.

The other man nodded his head, and Troy could tell that he was grateful for his understanding. All anyone wanted was to help Gabriella.

Finally Chad had settled the shirt on Gabriella's body and he took place in the seat on the other side of the room. It was as if, now that Gabriella was awake, it was his sole duty to protect her from anything. And now that thing was Troy.

'So you really are feeling ok?' Chad questioned seriously.

Gabriella sighed, 'I've only been awake for a day now and still all we're talking about is my health? I have to catch up, what's been happening?'

Chad shot Troy an uneasy look, and he shrugged, 'Nothing. We've all been here, waiting for you,'

Gabriella pulled a face, 'That's it? No… no drama?'

Chad shook his head vehemently, but Troy could see the panicked look in his eye, 'No… pretty quiet without you. Just the usual…'

Gabriella looked genuinely disappointed, 'You've all gone soft. You lot… with him?' she glanced at Troy, 'And there was _no _drama?'

Chad forced a smile, 'No! Just worrying about you,'

Gabriella let out a heavy sigh, followed by a brief pout, 'You seriously have _nothing _to distract me with? How can there be no drama?'

'Well… speaking of drama,' Chad murmured.

Troy turned his head to see Sharpay, looking more flamboyant than she had in days flouncing towards the room. As she locked eyes on Gabriella, she emitted a high-pitched squeal and broke into a run.

'Gabiiii!'

With Sharpay there was no hesitation around Gabriella, no fear of injuring or hurting her. She was healthy and therefore, nothing had change.

Gabriella smiled as the blonde burst into the room and swept her into her arms. Sharpay lifted Gabriella's upper body off the bed and into a bone-crushing hug.

'Gabi, you're okay!' she shrieked, 'You're okay!'

Gabriella let out a weak, wheezy giggle, 'I won't be if you strangle me Shar!'

Sharpay was unbothered by that, but released Gabriella, taking a seat on the bed beside her.

Making a less vibrant entrance behind her was Kelsi and Ryan hand in hand. Ryan smiled gently at her, and squeezed her hand as he approached her.

'It's good to see you again,' he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

'You too Ry,' she replied.

Kelsi patted Gabriella leg fondly, no reunion necessary, allowing Zeke to take the place that her husband had stood in.

'Heya Gabs,' he grinned toothily, kissing her cheek, 'We've been going crazy out there without you,'

She giggled, and nodded, 'It's good to hear,'

With the reunions over, the group seemed to take post. Ryan and Kelsi settled in the corner of the room, Kelsi pressed firmly against Ryan's front, his hands resting affectionately on her waist. Taylor slid to the ground to sit at her fiancé's feet, Zeke propped himself up against the wall and Sharpay sat cross legged on the end of Gabriella's bed.

Troy there, slumped in his chair on the outside of it all. He watched the loving, affectionate grins that they didn't even bother to hide as they stared at Gabi. There they were, high school long behind them, the perfect happy family. Kelsi leant her head back against her husband's chest looking back at him, and Chad leant down to kiss Taylor. Everything was perfect. And he was on the outside.

How did that happen?

How did he wind up, sullen and alone, while Gabriella and her family glowed with perfect serenity? Gabriella was alive, Kelsi and Ryan were married, and Taylor and Chad were getting married. How did he get left behind?

His heart ached for something that could have been his. The marriage, the adoration, the family.

'Troy?'

Taylor's voice jolted him out of his thoughts, soft and prying.

'What are you doing over in the corner?' she asked, 'Come on…'

Gabriella smiled encouragingly at him, 'Come on… no use sitting _there,_'

With Gabriella's blessing, Troy's heart swelled and he stood up. He dragged his chair, to the foot of Gabriella's bed and took his seat again. With him there, they made a circle, tight and close, surrounding Gabriella.

Kelsi smiled serenely and Gabriella let out a sigh, 'Tell me something,' she murmured.

Conversation lulled comfortably, winding its threads around Troy, occasionally pulling him in. Gabriella smiled, her hand never leaving Sharpay's, her eyes dancing over each and every one of them. Troy felt a new sense of contentment sweep over him, something he hadn't known for so long now. It wasn't permanent, and once this night was over they would be balancing on a precarious edge but for now… he belonged to something real.

* * *

_Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human. Maybe, we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate._

_- Meredith Grey_

* * *

**Ok, this chapter frustrates me a little, sheerly because I was stressed beyond normal healthy levels when I wrote it. (Have you tried to finish a research assignment with full research log in less than 5 days before? Not good for blood pressure!) Please review because it gives me just a little more incentive to keep writing! I love reading all of your reviews so much; they make my week so much brighter!**


	17. Lucky

'They'll be here soon!' Sharpay trilled to Gabriella excitedly.

It was an early summer morning in Albuquerque and for once they felt like they were leading normal lives. If they eliminated the oxygen tube under Gabriella's nose, and the IV in her wrist, the wires coiling from every spare inch of skin and the constant hustle and bustle of doctors, nurses and interns outside the room, then it was just another day. Sharpay was curled up on the foot of Gabriella's bed, flipping through Vogue, chattering at Gabriella. When the doctors had rounded that morning, Dr Meyers had checked under Gabriella's bandages, announcing it healthy, ready to remove. So now they were waiting for the nurse to come and remove them completely. Gabriella was staring at the ceiling, wringing her hands feverishly. Her heart was racketing and she was certain that her palms were sweating. Getting the bandages off. That was… that more than she could handle. What if it was horrible? What if… what if?

Sharpay turned her head, her incessant flow of chatter stopping when she surveyed her panicking friend.

'Gabs… it's okay,' she assured, patting her leg comfortingly, 'It will be fine,'

The girl bit down hard on her lip, 'What if it isn't? What if the scar's ugly? What if _I'm-_'

'Stop,' Sharpay interjected, holding her hand up, 'Stop that, right there. You are _not _ugly.'

'But-'

'But nothing. And besides, we all love you. Even if you were the ugliest person on the planet,'

Gabriella emitted a choked noise that hovering somewhere in between a sob and a laugh, 'Thanks Shar, it's good to know,'

Sharpay beamed, 'Anytime,'

'Hey honey, how are you feeling?' Taylor asked as she swept into the room breezily, pulling up a chair.

'I'm feeling like someone who's about to be bald,' Gabriella murmured bitterly.

'Honey you won't be _bald,_' Taylor tried, 'And anyway…'

Gabriella shifted so she was away from Taylor's comforting grasp, 'I just wanna sleep,'

'Gabi…'

Taylor trailed off weakly. What did she say to her friend, how did she help her when she didn't know what to say?

She looked up and met the dark, concerned eyes of Sharpay who was gnawing on the flesh of her bottom lip. She was at as much of a loss as Taylor was. This was beyond the reaches of friendship they'd ever encountered before. Taylor was reminded of the endless bleak days she spent with Gabriella on the floor of her bathroom, clutching her limp frame in her arms, rocking her, whispering soft things to her, all whilst panicking and fretting. She had never felt more helpless then, and history was repeating itself…

'I'm going to go out,' Sharpay announced abruptly, pushing herself to her feet.

Taylor's head snapped up in surprise, 'W-what?'

Sharpay was shoving her magazine inside her bag, gathering all her things together, 'I'm going out,' she repeated breezily, shrugging with easy nonchalance.

Taylor's eyes darted to Gabriella's lifeless form with her back to them both, and back to Sharpay.

'You can leave me,' she hissed, 'Not like… _this,_'

Sharpay hoisted her bag on her shoulder, a frown wrinkling her perfect face, 'Yes I can,'

Taylor glanced at Gabriella again, 'Can I speak to you outside for a moment Sharpay?' she asked in a strained voice.

Sharpay couldn't leave her, not now. Kelsi and Ryan had gone back to the Sharpay's house to go for a shower and spend a few silent moments rejoicing in the fact that everything was going to be okay. Troy was moping silently at his mother's house, put out by the fact that the nurses sent him home when he began to sway unsteadily on his feet. Zeke was working again and Chad was somewhere in the cafeteria. That left Taylor to try and aid Gabriella alone. She couldn't let Sharpay leave.

Taylor bolted to her feet and with a stern hand at Sharpay's elbow dragged her from the room.

As they stopped outside the room, Sharpay struck a pose with her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow.

'What Taylor?' she sighed exasperatedly.

'You can't leave me,' Taylor insisted in a low, urgent voice, 'You… you can't. What am I supposed to say to her?'

'You're an elevated IQ freak,' Sharpay intoned with a dramatic roll of her eyes, 'You'll figure something out,'

With that Sharpay turned on her canvas-clad heel and strode away.

'Sharpay!' Taylor called out after the rapidly retreating blonde, 'What are you doing?'

'Shopping!' she replied over her shoulder loftily.

'Shar?' Taylor's voice came out strangled, and an octave higher than it should have been.

'I'll be back soon,' she promised.

And with that Sharpay was gone, leaving Taylor standing alone in the corridor. She sighed heavily and glanced back into Gabriella's room. She was still silent, unchanged from the position she had been left in, lost deeply to the thoughts that Taylor couldn't even begin to imagine.

Her hard, panicked demeanour softened. Gabi obviously had a lot of thinking to do, and if all she could do was be there for her, then she was certain to do the best job she could.

'Hey Gabs,' she murmured softly, diving back into the silent room, 'How are you doing?'

* * *

'Dad… you're hovering,'

Troy looked up from his contemplation of his sandwich to meet his father's stare. Ever since he had come downstairs, freshly showered and clothed, his father had been burning an insistent, questioning hole in the back of his head. At first Troy had tried to ignore it, the pair of eyes sliding around the room with each step that he took. But he couldn't handle his father watching him raise a sandwich to his lips.

As Troy made his accusation Jack Bolton's eyes dropped away from Troy's and he ducked his head, gruffly mumbling an excuse.

'Dad,' Troy said, biting back a chuckle, 'What's up?'

Jack looked disgruntled at the fact that he'd been found out and glared at his son instead.

Troy rolled his eyes, 'Come on Dad, you weren't burning a hole in my skull for nothing. What's up?'

Troy's father seemed to consider his words, testing them out in his mind before he actually said them, 'It's just… uh… you… um…'

'Dad,' Troy sighed, 'I don't speak mumble, and I have to get back to the hospital to Gabriella,'

At the sound of her name Jack seemed to start back to life. He slapped a large hand down on the countertop, his eyes wide.

'Gabriella!' he cried, 'Exactly!'

Troy frowned, 'I… I'm not following,'

'Son, Gabriella, what's happening?'

'What do you mean what's happening? Gabriella's sick, I was in a car accident with her. I'm… being her friend,'

Jack fixed his son with a solemn, dark stare that pinned Troy to his seat. He'd never seen his father like that before.

'Is that all?' he asked quietly.

'Is what all?'

'Friends, is that all you are with Gabriella?'

Troy suddenly felt nauseous as his stomach twisted. He now knew what his father was asking him…

'Dad, I… I don't know!' he cried, suddenly self-conscious. His personal life was something he wasn't used to discussing and trying with his father was uncomfortable.

Jack's face grew stormy, 'What do you _mean _you don't know? What the hell are you doing Troy?'

'Dad! I don't know! I haven't really talked to her, I haven't gotten to know her, I don't know if she even wants to be my friend.'

'Do _you _want to be her friend?'

'Well… of course I want to be her friend! She…'

'She what Troy?' Jack demanded, 'Would you want to be more than her friend?'

Troy was completely bewildered. How was he supposed to answer that? He didn't _know _the answer to that. What…

'Dad, I don't get it!' he cried, throwing his hands up, 'What's with the Spanish Inquisition? What's the deal?'

Jack grabbed a hold of his son's forearm, yanking him back into his seat before he could walk away.

'What's the deal?' he growled, 'What's the _deal?_'

Jack glared darkly at his son and Troy's eyes widened.

'You broke that girls heart Troy!' Jack hissed, 'After you left... god, I've never seen anyone look like that before. You _destroyed _her and it took so many years for her to even get back onto her feet, to start moving forward again. You broke her Troy, and I won't let you do that to her again. So before you go screwing around, think about _her._'

Silence rang between father and son as their eyes locked in a battle of wills.

'Ok, what's happening?'

A cheery voice interrupted them as Troy's mother bustled into the room, a basket of laundry at her hip. Her ear-to-ear smile slid off her rosy face as she took in the two men, facing each other off. She took in Troy's pale, sickly looking face and her husband's set, defiant jaw. Something had happened…

'W…what did I miss?' she questioned quietly.

Troy shook his head, pushing himself away from the kitchen table with a loud scraping and banging.

'Nothing. I'm outta here,' he said, snarling at his father.

He grabbed his wallet of the kitchen table, stuffing it in his back pocket.

'I'll give you a call later,' he hissed, before stalking out the door.

He needed to see Gabriella; he needed to talk to her, feel like he wasn't the hideous monster that he was being to believe he truly was. Was it _really _that bad when he left her?

'Troy, stop!'

Troy turned at the sound of his mother's desperate call. She chased him out to the front of the house, before skidding to a halt, her chest heaving.

'Troy!' she begged, 'Please, don't leave,'

Her eyes began to water, and his heart wrenched. Another thing on his conscience.

'Hey… mama…' he murmured, 'Please… please don't cry,'

She sniffled weakly, rubbing her eyes, 'I'm not crying…'

Immediately he jogged forward, encompassing her small frame in his arms. She was warm and soft, and was everything a mom should be. His mom.

He let his head rest on top of hers fondly and he sighed, 'Mama… what do I do?'

'I don't know baby,' she murmured, 'You do what's right. You need to be with Gabriella now,'

'But what about Dad?'

'You need to figure yourself out first,' Lucille instructed gently, 'You need to come to terms with what you feel…'

'Mom, there's nothing to come to terms with!' he insisted, 'We were just… catching up and everything got out of control.'

'And everything changed…' she finished softly, 'Tragedies happen for a reason Troy, you just have to be strong enough to figure out why…'

Troy released his mother, 'Uh… thanks mom,' he murmured, 'I gotta go,'

He jogged away and slid into her SUV, 'I'll be home later,' he called.

'Bye baby,'

As he reversed the car out of the drive and took off down the road, Lucille smiled, sticking her hands in her pockets. He had no idea what he felt now, but eventually, it was all going to catch up with him. He couldn't keep running forever.

* * *

'So, Ms Montez, these tests are just routine protocol, to ensure that we haven't missed anything, or there haven't been any complications post-op,' the nurse chattered cheerfully, 'Nothing to be worried about,'

Gabriella didn't want to tell the poor nurse that she wasn't worried. She was just… existing.

Everything had changed, everything was different. It felt like she'd been in a coma for years, not days. Chad and Taylor were overtly loving and affectionate, reluctant to release one another, Kelsi was twitchy and hidden and Troy… Troy was back.

It was almost as if the dark five years of her life in which he hadn't been there, were erased as he sat by her side, conversing freely with the people who used to be his friends. When did that happen?

With a great deal of ease, two light blue clad doctors, interns she had learnt, lifted her helpless frame off the bed and onto the flat surface of the MRI machine. She could move, she knew that, but she felt so lethargic and weak, and any great effort at movement would just about kill her.

'Ok, just lie still,' the doctor instructed, 'It won't be too long,'

Gabriella let the exhaustion, so heavy in her limbs overtake her and she sunk into the plastic bed she was lying on. Her eyelids fell shut, and she surrendered to the doctor's will. Her whole world had changed and she still had so much to learn.

When Troy barged into Gabriella's room he was desperate for her presence. He needed to see her, breathing, talking, living. He needed to know that he wasn't the vilest scum that walked the earth; he just needed to know that he hadn't killed her.

He had been expecting the image of a weary, bandaged, confused Gabriella, but the sight that met him was much, much worse.

The bed was empty.

The bed was empty, being remade by a nurse and Taylor's chair had also been vacated.

Immediately, Troy's mind jumped to the worse possible conclusions. She was dead. There had been some complication, they hadn't stopped the bleeding, she'd had another seizure and they just couldn't save her. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. It wasn't good.

His heart leapt to his throat, and the shakes that took hold of his limbs were instantaneous. His mind was racing with contingency plans, if she was dead, now what? What happened then? How did life go on? What did he do?

The nurse finally seemed to notice his presence and offered him a bright, sunny smile.

'You looking for your pretty little girl?' she drawled, 'She's in MRI at the moment, and then I think she's going to CT, but she should be back,'

Troy's rapidly thudding heart ceased for a moment.

'Back?' he croaked weakly, clutching his chest, 'She'll be back?'

The nurse frowned, 'Well… of course she will. The tests will only take an hour or two,'

The relief that flooded over him was staggering, and had to lean up against the wall for a moment, in fear that his legs wouldn't support him.

She was fine.

She was just going for tests, a routine, common thing in a hospital. And he had almost had a heart attack over it.

'I… uh…' he stuttered, 'I'm gonna go find my friends,'

The nurse offered him another winning smile before turning back to continue tidying the bed.

He stumbled from the room, feeling oddly numb. What if his thoughts had been true? What if he had left, and he'd never seen Gabriella again? What if, what if, what if?

He found his way to the cafeteria where he found Taylor and Chad sipping coffee at a plastic table.

'Hey,' Chad greeted, sounding vaguely concerned as he took in Troy's ashen, shaken appearance, 'What's up?'

Troy shook his head, dropping into the seat beside him, 'Nothing… it's nothing man,'

Chad turned back to Taylor and their soft conversation struck up again, while Troy leant forward, cupping his face in his hands. If he panicked over her at the slightest thing… what did that mean?

Troy pushed down the questioning, painful emotions that bubbled up, rejecting them. This wasn't the time to think about that.

* * *

Sharpay trotted back into the hospital feeling much more satisfied with herself, numerous shopping bags hanging in the crook of her arm. She'd done something good, something that would benefit other people.

Without hesitating she rode the elevator up to Gabriella's floor, shifting excitedly from foot to foot. She was beginning to feel a little more like herself, with Gabriella awake and a day immersing herself in the mall again. Things felt… almost normal.

'Hey Gabi,' she trilled as she swept through the door.

Gabriella was in her bed, looking pale and miserable, sitting alone in her room.

Sharpay frowned with concern, 'Where'd Tay go?'

Gabriella shrugged, pulling a glum face, 'The nurse made her leave when I went for my tests,'

'Oh…'

Sharpay set her bags down on the floor, and took up her seat beside Gabriella.

'How long have you been alone?'

Gabriella arched her eyebrows at her friend, 'Do I look like someone with a watch,'

Sharpay grinned sheepishly, 'Fine… whatever.'

'Where have you been all day?'

'I thought you were too busy pouting to notice,' Sharpay shot back.

Gabriella cracked a genuine grin. Even banter was beginning to feel normal again.

'Anyway, the nurse said the doctor would just check the scans and then come and remove the bandage in a matter of minutes,'

Sharpay beamed widely, 'That's great news,'

'So what'd you buy?' Gabriella asked curiously, craning her neck to look at the bags on the floor.

'Nothing!' Sharpay cried insistently, kicking the bags beneath her chair, 'None of your business,'

'Please Shar,' Gabriella begged, 'I need to live vicariously through you as it seems that I'll be in this bed for many weeks to come,'

'Good afternoon Ms Montez,'

The same salt-and-pepper doctor who was becoming a staple part of their lives strolled through the door, whistling casually.

'How are you feeling this afternoon?' he questioned.

Gabriella pulled a face, 'Better than yesterday, but I'm not on my way out the door yet,'

'That's good news,' he smiled, 'It's progress, one step at a time,'

'You said you were looking at the scans?' Sharpay probed, leaning forward.

He glanced at Sharpay, his chipper demeanour unaffected by her serious expression.

'It's all good. No residual bleeding, no toxins… in all, she's as healthy as can be expected 5-days post-op craniotomy,'

'So… good?'

'All good. Throughout next week, I'd like to start looking at her range of movement, but for now we're content with her progress,'

Sharpay nodded, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, 'Ok… good…'

The doctor then got a sombre expression on his face, as if a cloud had passed over his features. He took a seat on Gabriella's bed at her feet, and reached out to her.

'The nurses tell me that you were unhappy for most of today. You were unwilling to talk much, you weren't quite… right. This raised a little bit of concern, and I just need to make sure that you're feeling ok,'

Gabriella's eyes widened as she interpreted the doctor's inference, and her cheeks stained red with mortification, 'You mean… god, no, I'm not depressed!'

'Gabriella,' he said quietly, silencing her stuttered protests, 'It's a common thing after a large, traumatic surgery. You wouldn't be condemned, we just want to know so we can get you the right help,'

'I'm not depressed!' she insisted, 'I'm… I'm confused and I'm… everything is different. I just have a lot to take in,'

'I understand that can be stressful…'

'I'm not seeing a shrink,' she said quietly, 'I'm fine. I just need to feel like me again… it might take a while,'

The doctor nodded thoughtfully, 'Ok… let me think,'

He pursed his lips, clearly considering a million thoughts racing through his mind.

'Would it help if you could wear your own clothes?' he asked.

Gabriella's eyes lit up, 'I can do that?'

'I'm sure your friends have some clothes of yours here at the hospital,'

He looked at Sharpay for confirmation who nodded, her face bright. Another step in the right direction.

'And I'm sure one of the nurses would be happy to draw you a bath, so you can clean up and then get out of the gown,'

Gabriella sighed, 'That would be… wonderful,'

Sharpay beamed brightly at the doctor, suddenly swept up with the urge to hug him. He was really making her better.

'Ok then, it that case, I'll remove the bandages and then I'll page a nurse,'

Gabriella nodded seriously and Sharpay braced herself on the arms of the chair she was in. Here we go…

Gently the doctor leant around the back of Gabriella, unwinding the bandages gingerly.

Gabriella winced at the odd sensation, but didn't flinch, allowing the doctor to remove it all.

'The incision site looks good,' the doctor informed her with a gentle pat on the back, 'You're well on your way to recovery,'

With that he gathered up his clipboard with a final smile and swept out of the room.

'Shar…' Gabriella whimpered.

Sharpay rubbed her watering eyes, 'Are you okay Gabi?'

'What does it look like?' she asked, her voice wavering dangerously, her brave front crumbling, 'Is… is it that bad?'

Sharpay sniffled, trying to push back her own tears. Gabriella looked so insecure and petrified and all she wanted to do was offer her every comfort she could.

Now she knew why Gabriella had been content with Sharpay in the room. Sharpay wouldn't try and gloss over the details, and tell that no matter what everything would be okay like Taylor would. Sharpay would hold her hand and together they would face the change that was coming. Sharpay wouldn't pity her.

She never got a chance to answer Gabriella's question as two nurses bustled into the room.

'Ok love, let's get you out of this bed,'

Sharpay stood up and flattened herself up against the wall as the nurses set about lifting Gabriella out of the bed. As they did Sharpay could only watch in horror at the waif-like, gaunt body that belonged to Gabriella.

'Uh… ok sweetie,' Sharpay said quickly as they carried her toward the adjoined bathroom, 'I'll be here when you get back,'

Gabriella barely turned her head, but Sharpay glimpsed the tiniest hint of a half-smile. With Gabriella it was a case of take two steps forward one step back.

Quietly, Sharpay settled back into her chair. It would take a while, but she was prepared to wait.

* * *

It was until late afternoon that Troy considered going back up to Gabriella's room. The three of them had lulled themselves into a comfortable conversation and time slipped away from them. It wasn't until after a particularly long discussion about hospital food that Taylor had shrieked.

'Oh shit, Gabriella!' she cried.

And with that they were all out of the cafeteria, hurrying towards her room. The elevator dragged itself up three floors sluggishly and Troy grew more agitated with each second that passed.

'Hey dude,' Chad called, 'You're not her keeper. It's our fault, and we're gonna have a lot of hell to pay,'

'Oh god,' Taylor stressed, 'What must she be thinking… oh she must be…'

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ting and the three struggled to shove themselves through the opening simultaneously.

They raced through the corridors, rounding the corner breathlessly. They needed to see her.

Taylor was first into the room, and she skidded to a dumbfounded halt, causing Troy and Chad to crash into her.

'What the…' she murmured.

Troy looked up to survey Gabriella. It was a dramatic change from the last time he'd seen her. She was sitting up in bed for once, propped up by numerous pillows and the bandages were absent, the Lakers cap in their place.

The number of tubes and wires had been halved, freeing up her dwarfed frame a little and the misshapen hospital gown was gone.

Even the room seemed different. The scent of light soap and perfume swirled around the room delicately, and the blinds had been opened to reveal proper dusk sunlight.

Sharpay was at Gabriella's side, holding her hand proudly while Gabriella smiled benevolently.

'Look at you!' Troy laughed, once the initial shock wore off, 'Look…'

She offered a small giggle and Sharpay squeezed her hand.

'What…' Taylor stammered.

'The doctor said she could change clothes and have a bath,' Sharpay grinned, 'Doesn't she look great?'

'I think so,' Chad boomed, happiness oozing from his tone, 'I think she looks great,'

'When did this…'

'Only about half an hour ago. We just got Gabriella settled back into bed,'

'The bandages?'

'All look good,' Sharpay answered, 'And so do the scans. She's gonna be a-ok,'

Taylor stopped, her concerned questions running dry. They were replaced by a wave of hysteria and she couldn't suppress a girly squeal.

'Gabi!'

Gabriella giggled, opening up her arms to Taylor. The dark-skinned girl didn't even hesitate to bound up to her, pulling her into her arms.

'Gabi, you look amazing,'

'Oh, oh!' Sharpay stopped suddenly, 'I'm not done yet!'

She reached underneath her chair where a number of shopping bags were strewn. She reached inside one, fishing around thoughtfully before finally revealing her prize.

'Et Voila!' she cried, thrusting it in the air.

Taylor frowned, considering the object, while Gabriella bit back a gasp.

'A wig?' she asked, her voice shaky.

Sharpay turned to Gabriella, an uneasy look on her face, 'You… you don't have to wear it if you don't want… but I got a couple just in case… I thought,'

'Shar!' she cried, her voice bordering on a sob.

Sharpay stopped her babble, her eyes wide, 'Yeah?'

Gabriella brought a hand to her mouth, her dark eyes glistening, 'Shar that's… that's so amazing of you! I… I can't believe you…'

Sharpay's face brightened instantly as Gabriella reached out for her. The blonde threw her arms around her, their faces pressing together.

Troy watched as the Lakers cap was whizzed off and a short brunette wig replaced it. The hair fell around Gabriella's face, framing it in an oddly nostalgic way.

'It's nothing like the real thing of course…' Sharpay muttered, fixing the wig tenderly, 'But…'

'But it's amazing,' Gabriella sighed.

Her fingers wandered up to the wig to run over the new hair curiously. There was a new sparkle in her eye and it swept Troy with a warm buttery feeling. She was happy…

'Sharpay that was beautiful,' Taylor murmured, 'So… beautiful,'

Taylor slung an arm around Sharpay's waist, her head dropping to rest on her shoulder. Troy couldn't help but find a new sense of contentment as he watched the family again. Every day they seemed to be taking steps in the right direction, bit by bit and every single day got a little bit easier.

* * *

Long after the sun had slunk behind the clouds, Troy sat with Gabriella. Chad and Taylor had returned to Taylor's parent's house and Gabriella had ordered that Sharpay spend the night with her brother and his wife for once. If she couldn't have the summer she'd planned, someone else may as well.

That left Troy and Gabriella, together alone for the first time in so long. Gabriella was hesitant at first, unsure of what to say, what to do around her ex-fiancée but gradually comfort came with time. He gave her a rundown of what she had missed and she gasped in horror at his fight with Chad and giggled as he recounted Zeke and Sharpay's behaviour with one another. She sighed, her doe-eyed and sombre as he replayed the many dark nights without her and slowly but surely the smile returned as he told her how grateful he was that she had returned.

'And that's where you wake up,' Troy nodded, concluding his story.

'And that's where I wake up,' she echoed, 'Yeah…'

'Mr Bolton?'

Troy looked up at the sound of a foreign voice calling his name. He found a matronly looking nurse standing in the doorway, a stern look on her face.

'Yes?'

'Visiting hours are over,' she informed him.'

He threw a glance at Gabriella, who had tilted her head to look at the nurse, before sighed, 'Ok then…'

He turned back to Gabriella, 'I'm glad you came back,'

She smiled then, with a giggle, 'So am I,'

'Sleep well, I guess,'

He gathered his belongings, shoving his hands in his pockets, 'Well uh…'

He took a few hesitant steps toward the nurse. There were so many things he could say to her right now… but did she want to hear them?

'I'll see you tomorrow,' she murmured in her melodious voice.

'Will I?'

'I hope so,'

With that Troy's face split into a grin and he waved at her, 'Night,'

'Night Troy!'

As Troy slipped out of the room, the nurse chuckled to herself, 'I'm sure we'll see you bright and early Mr Bolton…'

'You can bet on it,'

* * *

'It's been a good day,' Ryan announced as he sipped on his wine.

'It has,' Kelsi agreed softly, 'That, it has,'

She was curled in between her husband's legs, as they shared a box of Chinese takeout.

'We did good,' Sharpay piped in.

She was sitting across the room from them on the floor, Zeke sitting neatly beside her. His arm was slung across her shoulder and he manoeuvred his food one-handedly.

After a busy, triumphant crazy day they settled back together and found a little bit of peace. Just like old times, together, hanging out, just being kids. They laughed and joked, the weight of Gabriella's coma finally off their chests and it finally felt like summer.

All across town, in some way the Wildcats were connected. Chad and Taylor were at home together, sharing a pizza between them and Troy was flicking through an old photo album, his fingers nostalgically tracing the faded outlines of the people they used to be. And in the centre of it all, the centre of their hearts, was Gabriella, in her dimly lit hospital room, drifting off to sleep, preparing herself for another day of the life she had been given back.

They were a lucky group.

* * *

_Have you ever wished for an endless night?  
__Lassoed the moon and stars and pull that rope tight.  
__Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself,  
__Will it get better than tonight?_

_-Pink_

* * *

**Ok, just in case it wasn't evident, here's the point of this chapter. It's all about friendship. The hesitant reconnection between the Wildcats and Troy, learning to trust him and love him again. And of course, the big one of Gabriella and Troy; rebuilding their friendship. It may not have seemed like an exciting chapter, but I assure that this chapter is the foundation for the next four, which are **_**so **_**exciting. However you need this chapter to ensure that the next four work.**


	18. Questions and Answers

'Good morning ladies… and uh… oh… gentle_man_?'

As the nurse bustled into the room a few mornings later to check on Gabriella she was cheerful and chipper. She greeted the girls in the room, and her voice faltered as her eyes fell on the newspaper in the corner of the room.

Subtly Troy lowered the paper that he was hiding behind and offered the nurse a curt nod before sliding the paper back up so he was invisible.

'Ignore him,' Sharpay ordered loftily, 'He's not really here…'

The nurse frowned, 'Um… ok?'

Taylor sighed, 'He won't leave. Even when we begged. So, he's not really here because he's not welcome,'

'Right…' the nurse muttered unconvincingly, busying herself with Gabriella's monitors.

'So much for a girls day,' Sharpay hissed, glaring daggers at Troy.

'Give me a break already,' he groaned, 'All morning with the bitching!'

'Yeah… lay off him,' Kelsi piped in quietly, 'Last time he was gone, he came back and Gabriella wasn't in his bed. No surprise he won't leave her side,'

'That doesn't mean he has to interfere with our plans,' Taylor seethed.

'Stop it!' Gabriella warned, 'You're all ruining the movie,'

'Well!' the nurse announced cheerfully, straightening up, 'It sounds like you're all having fun! I'll leave you to it.'

And with that she bolted from the room as fast as her legs would possibly take her.

Gabriella tutted disapprovingly, 'You scared the nurse off!' she scolded.

'Sorry…' Taylor and Troy intoned.

With that, Gabriella turned back to the tiny TV bolted into the wall where a shaky image of Hugh Grant was before them.

Troy disappeared beneath his paper again and the girls settled into their position, curled around Gabriella.

Once the girls had their eyes firmly trained on the passionate embrace taking place on screen, Troy sneaked a look over the top of his paper.

Over the past few days Gabriella had made unsurmountable progress. Now, a mere four days after waking up she sat up in bed, propped by pillows, a sparkly pink wig resting jauntily atop her head. For the first time in days there was a little colour in her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled with true life. As the days passed by more cords and tubes were removed, leaving her now with her bandaged hand and wrist, with one single IV snaking out of it. She seemed… healthy.

The doctors kept warning that Gabriella wasn't healthy. Not yet anyway, and despite the leaps and bounds she was making in her recovery, the worst wasn't over just yet.

They had been yet to get Gabriella out of her bed, test her legs and there had been a phycologist who had visited the day before wary of a crash in her emotions once the reality set in again.

But for the moment they were basking in the new reality. Life was going fine again.

Over the days Troy had spent time with Gabriella, getting to know her bit by bit. He learnt the new Gabriella was tougher and fiercely independent. She was mortified at having to request assistance and always insisted that if she did it would be one of her closest friends.

Troy understood it completely… but it didn't mean he liked it.

The others were eventually coming to terms with his presence as well. Chad was still wary, frowning disapprovingly when Troy eagerly offered his services to spend time with her. If it came down between choosing him or Gabi, Troy knew Chad would choose her in a heartbeat, and he wasn't sure whether it saddened him or not.

Troy remained contemplating these issues until the screen faded to black and hideous cheesy nineties music began to play. It was then he considered it safe to lower the paper again.

Sharpay groaned, stretching out her limbs with a yawn, 'I gotta go. I'm meeting Daddy and Mother for lunch. They don't seem to understand that I need to be here,'

Gabriella laughed, waving an airy hand, 'Sharpay go. I'll be fine. You spend too much time here anyway,'

Taylor frowned, 'Wait Shar, _you're _going?'

Sharpay shrugged, tugging on her messy ponytail, 'Yeah, so is Kels. It's a family lunch,'

'But… I'm going out now as well. With Chad.'

'But that… oh…'

Both Taylor and Sharpay's eyes flew up to Troy who smiled sheepishly. This was going to be interesting.

'What about Zeke?' Taylor queried instantly.

'Working.'

'Anne?'

'Working.'

'Crap!' Taylor swore under her breath, 'What do we do? We can't leave him…'

'Umm… guys, I'm right here,' he offered.

'Isn't there… someone. Maybe I shouldn't go to lunch,'

'Stop it!' Gabriella commanded softly, holding out her hands, 'Shar, you _will _go to lunch. Tay so will you.'

'But…'

'But nothing,' she insisted, 'It's Troy. _Troy_. See I'm fine about it. It's not like he's a serial killer,'

'Gabi…'

'She's right,' Sharpay shrugged, 'It could be worse,'

'But…'

'Seriously!' she rolled her eyes exasperatedly, 'Get out of here!'

Taylor and Sharpay stared at each other for a long time before Gabriella growled low in her throat, 'Get _out of here!_'

With a sigh, Taylor rolled her eyes, bending down to gather up her belongings.

'Fine, but I don't like it at all,'

'Have a great lunch. I'm jealous, because all I get is this for lunch,' Gabriella laughed good naturedly, holding up her arm with the IV in it, 'Enjoy your meal,'

The girls laughed, and once they were done they turned to their friend.

Taylor straightened Gabriella's blankets, 'Can I have a moment with Gabi?'

'Tay, chill. Don't berate her,' Sharpay murmured seriously.

'It's fine, I just wanna talk to her,'

Helpless, Troy and Sharpay filed out of the room obediently. When they were gone, Taylor sat herself down on the bed beside Gabriella. Since she had woken up they had very few moments when the best friends had been alone together.

'What's up Tay?' Gabriella asked softly.

'I'm just worried…' she replied, 'How are you feeling?'

Gabriella frowned, 'Tay… how is someone who got hit by a truck supposed to feel?'

'You know I mean!' she scolded.

'Well… you asked!'

Taylor's eyes dropped, almost with shame, and she gnawed on her bottom lip, 'Can I ask you something?'

'Sure, shoot,'

'What's… is there anything happening with you and Troy?'

Gabriella was staggered. Troy… her… she hadn't even considered that. She…

'Tay!' she shrieked, 'There's nothing,'

'All that time you spent with him… _talking_?' Taylor questioned suspiciously.

'Yeah, talking,' Gabriella insisted, 'Tay, we were in a car crash together. Things like that… they bond people! It's something we have in common,'

'But is it something worth keeping him near you? Is he worth having around? What's going to happen?'

'Happen? Tay, I've only been awake a few days. Nothing's happened and nothing's going to happen!'

'I mean… how do you feel about him?'

Gabriella fell silent and she looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap. Taylor nudged her impatiently, 'Gabi!'

'I… I don't know!'

'Gabriella, how can you not know! He broke your heart, he walked out on you! He dumped you! How can you not know!'

'I just…'

'You don't even know why he left!' Taylor hissed scathingly.

When Gabriella looked back up again her dark eyes were glistening with tears, 'Tay… Chad was your first, and most likely your last, so I know this will be hard for you to understand but… Troy, he was my first love. We had planned to spend _forever _together. He'll always be a part of me, and I'll always love him, whether or not I'm _in _love with him,'

Taylor pursed her lips, shaking her head disapprovingly, 'That's _not _the answer I wanted to here!'

'Ok, enough chit-chat!' Sharpay announced breezily, bursting into the room, 'Time to go Taylor!'

'Don't hurry, I'll still be here,' Gabriella replied sarcastically.

Sharpay grabbed hold of a reluctant Taylor's arm, tugging her from the room. She turned her head, tossing a saucy wink in Gabriella's direction, 'Don't get into trouble now,'

Gabriella laughed, 'See ya!'

With that, the two girls disappeared and silence fell over Troy and Gabriella.

'So uh…' Troy began, his hands in his pockets.

'Thanks for volunteering to stay with me,' she smiled genuinely, 'But I don't mind if you wanna get lunch for yourself. Contrary to popular opinion I don't need babysitting,'

'I know,' he shrugged, taking a seat again, 'I wanna be here,'

For a moment, Gabriella's heart melted. Maybe beneath the smooth LA exterior that the new Troy Bolton had habited a fraction of a faded, hopeless romantic 17-year-old boy. For a moment.

She cleared her throat, her spine stiffening and Taylor's words resurfacing abruptly. It had been five years; there was no other Troy Bolton. There was just now, just reality and he was the man who left her.

'So do you wanna watch another movie, harass the nurses or just talk?'

She shrugged, 'Um… I dunno,'

Troy frowned, concerned by her nonchalance.

'Ok… I'll go put on another movie,'

She nodded, the gaudy pink strands bobbing around her face, 'Sounds good,'

Troy sighed, busying himself with the DVD. He didn't know what to do; he didn't understand the rapid change in moods…

As the opening strains of the new movie started up, he settled back into his chair, sneaking a glance at her. Her eyes were distant and faraway, not even looking at the TV screen. Taylor had said something to her… and she was seriously worried about it.

When the movie finally drew to a close, Gabriella's eyes still hadn't moved. She hadn't sniffled quietly when the romantic hero swept the girl into his arms, and she hadn't laughed at the sidekick's antics. She hadn't watched the movie at all.

'Ok,' Troy announced loudly, getting to his feet, 'We need to talk,'

For the first time in two hours, Gabriella's eyes shifted, snapping to him.

'Do we?' she asked, her dark eyes wide and startled.

'We do, but not here,'

Gabriella glanced down at herself, tucked tightly into the bed, 'Good luck with that,'

'You've been cooped up for too long… we need to… do something,'

She arched an eyebrow at him, 'Uhu,'

'Just you wait!'

With that, he darted off, out of the room only to return minutes later with a nurse and a wheelchair at his side.

'Told you!' he exclaimed proudly, 'Let's get out of here,'

With the aid of the nurse, Troy managed to get Gabriella bundled up in the wheelchair in a matter of minutes. He smoothed a blanket over her knees, to which she squirmed and glared at him viciously.

And then they were off, with the nurse's blessing.

'So Gabriella?' he asked cheerfully as he pushed her along the corridor that he had gotten to know like the back of his hand, 'What's on your mind?'

She frowned, twisting to look at him, 'There's nothing on my mind. Why would there be anything on my mind?'

'Well… because you're a human being and by rights should therefore had things on your mind. My question is why are they so sad?'

Gabriella shrugged, 'I'm not… _sad_. Just thinking,'

'Ok… wanna share?'

She shook her head firmly, 'Not really…'

'Ok then,' he nodded, 'Cool with me. Wanna play twenty questions?'

'Twenty questions?' she replied dubiously.

'Sure, I ask you a question, you ask me a question. Simple,'

'Fine, you start,'

'Umm… okay. So you live in New York…'

'That's a statement not a question,' she replied loftily.

He chuckled, nudging the wheelchair playfully, 'Hang on, the question's coming. You live in New York right… why?'

'Why?' she wrinkled her nose.

'Yeah, why New York? There's so many places you could have gone for law school,'

She sighed, tucking a strand of pink hair behind her ear, 'Because of Tay and Chad I guess. Because there, everything was… different. It snowed in New York, it didn't in LA. I needed it to be different because…'

She trailed off and Troy nodded, 'It's fine Gabi. We're being truthful…'

Her dark eyes swivelled to look at him, deathly serious, 'How truthful?'

'Tell me even if it hurts,'

She nodded, 'Fine. You were in California, you _were _California. I needed something that wasn't. And… well, it's on the opposite side of the country. I couldn't have gotten any further away,'

He winced, however nodded despite the sting, 'Ok… good. Your turn,'

'Oh, god, my turn,' she sighed, leaning forward to prop her arm on her elbow, 'Um… ok, worst paparazzi moment?'

He laughed as they continued their plight down the hall, 'Well, there was one time just… _after_… you know,'

She nodded sagely, 'Uhu…'

'Well, it was just after that and I'd been playing on the team for about three months and I was the new toy. I was young, what they considered attractive and relatively naïve to the whole _Hollywood_ thing,'

'Ok…'

'And anyway, my mom called me for the first time. And for three months I'd been lonely and kinda pathetic and I was so happy to hear her voice, I thought she was going to comfort me and tell me everything would turn out fine. Instead… instead she yelled at me for ten minutes straight before slamming the phone down without a goodbye,'

'Oh,' Gabriella said quietly.

'Anyway… needless to say, I was pretty upset and left the gym and… found the paparazzi. There were a few choice words, and I… punched one of the photographers.'

'_Punched!_ How hasn't this been news everywhere?'

'The publicity camp at the Lakers are pretty crafty,' Troy shrugged, 'But… it was quite some introduction to the fame I'd brought on myself,'

'I bet it was,' she giggled.

'Ok, ok… I know!' Troy announced gleefully, 'Ok, worst meal you've ever eaten?'

She pulled a face, 'You're not gonna like this,'

'Come on!'

'Ok, there was a time… freshman year of college. You drove me all the way to LA for a night, and we had sushi,'

'Yeah…' he nodded slowly, 'I remember that,'

'_That_ was the worst meal I'd ever eaten,' she replied, accentuating her statement with a shiver, 'Yuk. I hate sushi. But you were so proud, so I didn't tell you!'

He laughed, shaking his head, 'I can't believe that…'

'Worst look you've been photographed with,' she shot back, 'Come on!'

'I went to Aruba for… some "team function" and I got so burnt. Went we got back the paps were waiting for us outside the airport and… well, I was red like a lobster, walking really stiffly and had this goofy hat on because I'd tried to stay out of the sun for the rest of the trip. It was… great,'

Gabriella burst into a fit of light, pealing giggles that made his heart soar. She covered her mouth with her hand, and her nose scrunched up adorably as she tipped her head back. It was infectious, and before long, Troy found himself joining her in the delirious, contented laughter that celebrated a healing friendship.

Slowly, the laughter subsided, in it's place, leaving a serious, thoughtful silence.

'You've only got two more questions left,' she murmured.

'Two questions…' he sighed, nodding slowly, 'Ok…'

He turned around, so he was kneeling on the ground in front of her, his hand on the armrest holding him up. Her eyes were sombre and fearful as she anticipated the question.

He considered the words carefully, testing them on his tongue, 'How… what… how bad was it?'

The question was out there, in the universe and he couldn't get it back.

She winced, shuddering visibly and for a second he feared she would refuse to answer.

'H-how bad was what?' she asked shakily.

'Gabi,' he said seriously, 'You know what I mean. How bad was it… _after_,'

She closed her eyes with a grimace and her shoulders tightened, 'Troy…'

'Gabi, tell it to me straight… not your sugar coated version,'

'It was… hell,' she croaked quietly, 'I laid on the bathroom floor for two whole weeks. I… I didn't know what to do, what to say… I just…'

She trailed off with a shrug, 'I ceased to exit for almost two years and even then… I lost a part of me Troy. I spent years wandering from room to room, not… not actually knowing what I was doing. Without… without you, I wasn't me and that scared me,'

With each word he felt like she was sliding a sharp knife between his ribs, each slice burning, making his heart writhe and scream.

'It got better eventually,' she sighed, 'It… it had to. I didn't have any choice but to move forward…because life continued no matter how much I wished it wouldn't. Life moved on, just without you there,'

She fell silent, her eyes downcast and Troy knew despite his plea, she had glossed over many of the details, left out the worst for him. And still his heart ached.

Surreptitiously he glanced up and down the dark hall they were in. It was deserted, empty except for them. They were away from prying eyes.

'Do you trust me Gabi?' he asked quietly.

'Troy, that's a question,' she replied.

'It's my last question,'

'Do I trust you?' she frowned, 'Well… but… Troy…'

'Do you trust me enough to do… this?'

Troy got to his feet, extending his hands out in front of him. Still confused, Gabriella allowed her hands that were resting in her lap, to be gathered in his.

'Troy… I don't understand,'

Smiling softly, Troy leant back on his weight, tugging on her slender limbs. Ever so slowly, she lifted off the seat she was in, barely supporting her own weight.

'Troy!' she gasped in surprised, 'I…'

'It's ok Gabs,' Troy assured, as he pulled her to her feet, 'I got you. You'll be fine,'

Her eyes were wide as she shakily took one step forward. And then another. And another.

A gleeful giggle rose from her chest and Troy whooped in delight. Another hurdle passed.

She clung to Troy's arm as she shuffled a few feet up the hall. She turned to him, her face beaming with pride.

'I did it Troy!'

He laughed, 'You sure did!'

Her grip on his arm loosened slightly, the more she walked, until eventually just their fingers were interlaced. He was so proud of her. She had done it.

'You still have one more question Gabs,' Troy whispered.

With that her gleeful exuberance was silenced. She grew sombre again, turning ever so slightly to face him.

Troy stood on the ready with the wheelchair, just in case, hovering for the worst-case scenario. Her face was ashen and it seemed as if, this time, she was the one considering her words.

And then she locked her eyes with his, a jolting electricity shooting through him.

'Why did you leave?'

The words were like a slap in the face, and hung between them, resounding and demanding. _Why, why, why_?

Troy recoiled with the aftershock and his entire body tensed. She'd found the one question he'd been asking himself for five years and yet from her mouth…

'I…'

'Gabi! Oh my god!'

There was a sudden, feminine squeal from the other end of the corridor. Troy and Gabriella both turned sharply, to see a group of people bounding towards them.

There was a lot of incomprehensible noise as they converged on Gabriella, engulfing her in a mass hug.

'The nurses said you'd come down this way,' came one shriek.

'And then….'

'We thought that….'

'Your bed was empty…'

'You look amazing!'

'I can't believe it!'

Somehow Troy was pushed to the outside of the circle, Gabriella in the very heart and centre of it. Ryan, who hung closer to the edges smiled at Troy contentedly.

'Thanks man, you did really good. Go get yourself something to eat, you look like you could use it,'

Food was the last thing Troy could think about, he felt nauseous, sick to his stomach with her question rolling through his mind. _Why, why, why?_

'No I…'

'Seriously dude, the girls are gonna be squealing for the next five hours. You're not going to get a word in edgewise. Go get a hamburger,'

Troy glanced at the group who were still writhing with energy. Their lives weren't hanging on one single question…

Gabriella's eyes met his over Taylor's shoulder and she held his stare for a few moments. Eventually she nodded her head ever so slightly, releasing him, succumbing him to a sleepless night.

He lowered his head in shame, and turned on his heel.

And then he ran.

* * *

_Communication. It's the first thing we really learn in life. Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking the harder it becomes to know what to say. Or how to ask for what we really need.  
- Meredith Grey_

_

* * *

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**Can you feel it? The build up, the moments you've all been waiting for?  
I write these chapters for you guys and I really, really love to have your input. Please review, it makes the writing process a little speedier!**


	19. Long Time Coming

**I present to you, the answers you've been waiting for. Please don't kill me!**

* * *

It was haunting him. She was haunting him. Ever since she had asked him, it had been all he had heard. _Why, why, why?_

For years he had told himself the same answer, the same copout that helped him sleep at night and not throw himself on the next plane back to her. He had accepted that answer because that was what made his conscience a little clearer. But now…

Kelsi and Ryan buzzed around him fleetingly, chattering amongst themselves, paying very little attention to the man beside them who was suffering a crisis.

'Hey Kels, do you want anything else. I'm gonna get another coffee,' Ryan offered as he pushed himself away from the table.

Kelsi shook her head, 'No thanks Ry. I'm good.'

'You don't even want a coffee?' he pried hopefully, 'Warm, delicious coffee,'

'No thanks,' she replied politely.

Troy snorted surreptitiously, before meeting Kelsi's _shut up or die_ stare.

'Kelsi, seriously. You need something. You love coffee, coffee would do you good,'

Kelsi's spine stiffened and her jaw set, 'I don't _want _any coffee Ryan!' she insisted.

With that Kelsi leapt out of her seat and stormed out of the cafeteria in a huff. Ryan stared after her, completely dumbfounded. He ambled back to his seat and collapsed beside Troy.

'What the hell just happened?' he asked quietly.

When Troy didn't reply, Ryan continued his audible stream of conscience.

'I just don't get it,' he sighed, 'She had the flu before we left London, she insisted she was fine, said she wanted to come and then… now she's being all weird. I mean, no coffee?'

It took of Troy's effort not to laugh. Surely someone as intelligent as Ryan could have connected the dots by now; surely he should have a vague idea…

'I dunno,' Troy shrugged nonchalantly, 'Talk to her yourself.'

'When!' Ryan demanded, 'When we're not here, we're with Mom and Dad, or we're with Sharpay. Having a sister-in-law present does not a good conversation make!'

Troy rolled his eyes, 'Escape. Run away for a couple of hours, go somewhere! No one will miss you,'

Ryan frowned, evidently pondering the idea, 'Hmm… I could… I guess… but… Shar would miss us,'

'Let me take care of Shar ok? I'll call in a favour with Zeke,'

Ryan nodded, still humming his thoughts out, 'Ok… ok… that could work. I'll go tell Kels that we're going out tonight,'

With that Ryan leapt up from his seat and sprinted from the room, his mind filled with feverish plans.

Troy stood up, his own plans formulating in his mind. The conversation he wanted to have with Gabriella needed to be done alone, without fear of interruption in the middle. However that was Ryan, Kelsi, Sharpay and Zeke out of the hospital tonight. Now he just had to get through Gabriella's fiercest guard dogs and then they would be alone. How did he get them out of the hospital? And furthermore… what did he do for Gabriella?

* * *

'This is disgusting,' Gabriella moaned, poking at the sickly looking lime Jell-O on her plate, 'It's just… I cannot eat this,'

'What else are you going to eat?' Taylor replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

Gabriella scrunched up her face, 'I don't know!' she whined, 'Just not this!'

'Tough kiddo,' Chad teased, popping another fry in his mouth, 'Tough luck for you!'

She scowled at him, 'How about I throw the Jell-O at you and see what happens?'

Chad recoiled, 'Feisty.'

'Ok Gabs. Seriously, you've been in a bad mood since yesterday afternoon. Why?'

'I'm not in a bad mood!' Gabriella insisted, throwing her spoon down on the tray childishly.

Chad sniggered, 'Whatever you say,'

'Shut up Chad,' Taylor sighed, 'So not helping. Go find Troy or something…'

Chad rolled his eyes good naturedly, 'Fine…'

He pushed himself from his chair and slumped from the room, tossing a wink over his shoulder as he left.

'So… you wanna tell me what's up? Ever since we saw you up and walking yesterday you've been all… twitchy and fidgety. Like you're anxious about something,'

Gabriella scooted back in her bed. She loved Taylor and she knew that without Taylor's love she wouldn't even be alive today, but… there were some things she wasn't prepared to share. Not yet anyway. She wouldn't understand.

She shook her head, causing the dark fake strands falling around her face to whip her cheeks, 'It's nothing Tay, really. I'm just… tired that's all. It feels like improvement's just slow…'

'You suffered a major brain trauma Gabs,' Taylor laughed, 'Of course progress is going to be slow! Is that seriously all you're worried about?'

Gabriella studied Taylor's gentle, earnest face and read only concern. If she told her the truth it would only make her more worried.

'I promise. I'll be fine soon,'

After a long second of searching Gabriella's face for untruths, Taylor resigned and she leant back with a warm smile.

'Ok… so, tell me, do you think I should start planning my wedding?'

With that statement, for the first time in almost 18 hours Troy's unanswered question was swept from her mind. A squeal rose in Gabriella's chest, and she clapped her hands together.

'Tay!' she shrieked.

It had been so long since Chad had proposed. Unlike any other bride-to-be that Gabriella had known, including herself, Taylor had been standoffish. When shopping she refused to even slow down as they passed bridal stores and she almost had a fit when she saw a bridal magazine. Gabriella knew that Taylor was only trying to protect her, shield her from the inevitable knowledge. She should already have been married by now.

Instead it was Taylor getting married and Gabriella was alone. She couldn't deny the twinge that she felt every time she looked at Taylor's engagement ring, and she couldn't stop the wince as she walked past the white dress like the one she had put on hold. But she was fine, and she was happy for Taylor. However, no matter how many times Gabriella insisted she was fine with it, Taylor had refused any further comment on her future wedding – until now.

Taylor's face shone with excitement and she pressed her lips together, nodding proudly.

'I… I think Chad and I have waited long enough. I mean, with you and your accident… and Troy… I just realized that we need each other, we depend on each other and if we're not careful we could lose it all in a minute. We have no reason to wait. I think it's time, I think we're _all _ready,'

Gabriella beamed, grabbing her friend's hand and squeezing it tightly, 'We sure are!'

With that they leapt into conversation, feverish and excited, all talks of sadness and unhappiness evaporating.

* * *

'Ok, so, dude. I need to ask you a _huge _favour.'

Chad's eyes narrowed as soon as the words were out of Troy's mouth.

'What do you want?' he asked suspiciously.

Troy sighed; this was a long shot, but he may as well try.

'I need you and Taylor to go on a date tonight,'

Chad's suspicious stare morphed into one of confusion.

'Huh?'

'I mean, can you and Tay just, I don't know, get out of here for the night? Go somewhere special, talk… I don't know!'

Chad snorted, 'You really haven't done the dating thing in a while have you?'

Troy glanced down at his feet sheepishly, 'Well… uh, _dating_ wasn't what I needed,'

'Ah, and Lakers girls don't take a lot of convincing,' Chad nodded grimly, 'I see.'

Troy winced, 'It's not like that man, it's…'

'Ok, look. I don't really wanna hear about cheerleaders at the moment,' Chad held up his hands.

Troy shrugged, 'Sorry…'

They lapsed into an awkward silence, and Troy shuffled his feet.

'So… you need me and Tay out of the hospital tonight?' Chad asked.

'Uh, yeah, something like that,'

Chad didn't even bother to mask his blatant curiosity, 'Why?'

Troy's shoulder's tensed. Should he tell him? If he told the truth what would Chad think?

He inhaled deeply, 'Gabriella and I… there's a lot of… stuff between us. Things that haven't been said yet, things that need to be said,'

Chad's eyes were uncharacteristically serious, and he nodded soberly, 'So…'

'Gabriella and I need to have a conversation. _The _conversation that is five years overdue.'

Comprehension dawned on Chad's face, and his dark eyes widened, 'You mean… you… say… oh…'

He nodded then, energy returning to his features, 'Ok then. I'll talk to Tay, I'm sure I can organize something tonight right?'

Troy was overcome with gratitude, and he slapped his friend's shoulder, 'Thanks man,'

Chad frowned, stepping back, 'Hey, I'm taking my fiancé on a date right. It's got nothing to do with you right?'

Troy nodded sincerely, comprehending Chad's inference. Taylor wouldn't have a bar of this if she knew…

'Ok well… have fun on your date tonight,' Troy announced, 'I gotta get out of here as it is,'

Chad smiled with a nod, 'Ok dude, later,'

Troy jogged away grinning. The hardest obstacle and he had overcome it. Now he had just a few steps and his plan would be executed.

* * *

Zeke paced back and forth. He wanted to do this, he _needed _to do this. Troy had come to him a few hours before, begging him to find a way to get Sharpay out of the hospital for a night. Troy claimed it was for Ryan and Kelsi's sake, and who was he to inconvenience a friend?

Sharpay was curled up on the foot of Gabriella's bed, painting her toenails precariously while Gabriella and Taylor giggled about something. Sharpay seemed to be deep in concentration, the tip of her tongue poking out the side of her mouth, her nose wrinkled thoughtfully.

'You can do this man, you can do it,' he whispered to himself, offering himself a pep talk, 'It's just a girl. It's just Sharpay. It's just… who am I kidding? She's not _just _Sharpay!'

'Zeke!'

Gabriella had caught sight of him through the glass pane window as he paced back. She threw her arms up in the air and squealed his name, 'Come in, come in!' she insisted.

Zeke winced as both Taylor and Sharpay looked up curiously. They obviously hadn't been expecting to see him.

He shuffled into the room with an awkward smile, 'Heya Gabs, how're you feeling?'

She shrugged, still smiling, 'Ok I guess. Better than yesterday!'

'That's great to hear.'

'What are you doing up around here? I thought you were at work?'

'Uh, took the afternoon off,' Zeke amended, bobbing his head, 'Thought I'd come up and say hello.'

She beamed warmly, 'Well it's great to see you,'

Easily Zeke found himself being drawn to the gentle lull of girly conversation that he had spent his final high school years surrounded by. It was soothing, easy, and calmed his jittery nerves about…

'No!' he exclaimed, jerking upright.

Gabriella jolted, startled by his sudden exclusion from their conversation. Taylor blinked in surprise and Sharpay fixed him with her customary _you dumb idiot_ stare.

'Uh, I… I needed to talk to Sharpay,' he stammered, 'Yeah, can I talk to you for a sec Shar?'

Sharpay turned her magnificent blonde head to exchange a curious, imploring stare with her friends. The other girls seemed to be at a loss at his unusual behaviour and merely shrugged in returned.

Caving anyway, Sharpay leapt lithely off the bed and approached him, allowing him to guide her from the room. As he left the room he closed the door behind him and he swore he heard giggling.

When he turned, Sharpay was already waiting, impatient and demanding, her hip cocked and her lips pursed.

'Uh, hey Shar,' he greeted, offering her a shaky smile.

'Hi Zeke?' she echoed expectantly.

He had to ask her. This was for Ryan and Kelsi's sake… this was for Ryan and Kelsi's sake… it wasn't like he had any emotional stake in this next question…

'I was wondering if… if maybe you wanted to go out tonight... catch a movie, grab dinner?'

He managed to get the words out, garbling them as they all clawed to get out of his system. As soon as he had finished, they fell into silence while Sharpay contemplated his words.

'Go out? Like… tonight and… you and I?'

His hands, shoved firmly in his pockets were beginning to shake, 'Uh… yeah?'

'Huh…' she murmured, bobbing her head thoughtfully, 'Well, ok, I guess. That sounds good,'

Zeke thought he might collapse with relief. That may have been his first successful attempt at asking her out since he first met her.

'Ok, so I'll pick you up at your apartment then? Or here?'

She glanced down at herself and wrinkled her nose, 'My apartment. Definitely.'

He couldn't help the grin that was beginning to make his cheeks ache, he was successful!

'Ok , then I'll just…' he started, 'I'll see you later?'

She nodded, the hint of a shy smile playing on her lips, 'Ok. Bye Zeke…'

With that, tossing one last rosy look over her shoulder, she slipped back into Gabriella's room. He sighed softly after she had gone. Now he just had to get tonight right.

* * *

Taylor sighed luxuriously as she stretched out on the deck chair. For the first time since Gabriella's accident they were alone and happy. Chad was lying on a lounge with her and she was curled at his side, his eyes closed, sated and tired from the meal. The warm, balmy summer breeze ruffled through her hair, and silence rung from all around them. It had been a perfect evening. They had cooked together (well, really, she had and he played with the discarded knives). They had sat together on the deck, overlooking his childhood tree house and eaten. They had talked, laughed and spent the night celebrating their intimacy, divulging the details of their minds. Even though they were in the middle of suburbia, on an average weekday evening it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

'Come here,' Chad mumbled sleepily.

Taylor obliged, scooting closer where she fell between his legs. Chad sat up, curling a strong arm around her middle, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder.

'Hey,' he whispered.

'Hey,'

He peppered warm, gentle kisses along the column of her neck, tracing from her collarbone up to her jaw and back down again. Instinctively Taylor leant into him, allow her own eyes to drop shut.

'I love you,' he murmured against the soft skin, his voice sending a delicious shiver curling up her spine.

This was the Chad that she fell in love with. She couldn't explain that to her mother, who, when she first brought him home with her, arched her eyebrows disbelievingly. _He'll never commit._

But no one knew the Chad she did. Very few people did, maybe Troy and Gabriella had at certain moments throughout their lives but it was _that _Chad she'd fallen in love with. Not the jock, not the egotistical, cocky basketball player but the passionate, adoring Chad who was fiercely protective and lovingly.

'I love you too,' she replied just as softly.

His hands continued to stroke the skin on her bent leg as his kisses slowed and he rested his cheek against hers.

She still hadn't told him that she wanted to get married. She had only just known herself. In the middle of the night, curled up in his sweatshirt, his arm draped lazily across her, their legs entwined, she realized that wanted it. She realized that now Troy was back, that things had changed, she was awake for the first time since he had left. It felt like Troy being back in their lives, even for a little while, healed the past that had been shattered and broken. Now she was ready to move forward. Time would start moving again, even when she hadn't realized it had stopped.

'Chad,' she murmured.

His eyes opened and he pulled away from her to meet her serious stare.

'Yeah?'

She turned around so she was on her knees, between his legs, facing him. She couldn't help the smile that grew as excitement bubbled within. She was really ready.

'I wanna get married,' she whispered.

Her confession fell between them and for a moment, Chad was silent. The crickets chirped quietly and he stared at her blankly.

And then…

'You… I…' he stammered, as his thoughts raced, recollecting themselves, redefining everything he thought he'd known.

Then his face split into a wide grin, 'Tay!' he boomed, playful and boyish suddenly.

She allowed a girly squeal to escape as he leapt to his feet with sudden agility, scooping her up with him. He spun her around and she was overcome with ecstatic laughter. He shouted and whooped and cheered, ensuring the entire of his neighbourhood knew the truth. He was getting married!

As the initial wave of euphoria swept over them, it was replaced by the intense, crackling passion. This was real, this time they weren't going to mess up, they were moving into the future that had been on hold for so long.  
He stopped spinning and stood on the deck, his dark eyes filled with powerful emotion. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, her fingers curling into his hair at the nape of his neck. The desire suddenly burned, begging to be released as they inched closer together. His lips met hers in a kiss that told her just how real this was to him.  
Gently he carried her back to the lounge, laying her down. Then his hands were sliding her kaftan up around her thighs, his lips worshipping every inch of her skin. Her bare feet locked around him, pulling him in closer. For a moment he broke away from the kiss, and fixed her with a sizzling stare.

'I'm glad you're marrying me,'

* * *

'That was an awful movie!' Sharpay laughed.

Zeke chuckled, 'Yeah, I'll give you that, it was crap!'

They were stumbling along the sidewalk, their fingers loosely laced between them. Sharpay, giddy from Junior Mints and a super sized Coke, was giggling so hard that she struggled to stay upright on her wedges.  
They had gone to see a movie together in the late afternoon, with vague plans to get dinner afterwards. Unfortunately the movie they unanimously selected had been awful. Except for a tween couple making out in the back row, they were the only people in the cinema. For the most part they supplied the dialogue for the otherwise dreadful movie, which inevitably led to fits of hysterics on Sharpay's part.

'Where are we going?' she requested suddenly, the giggles evaporating.

It was dark now and to Sharpay, they were wandering the streets aimlessly and she was beginning to get hungry. Part of her didn't want to find a restaurant, it only meant the night was closer to ending. She had had a wonderful night, despite the awful movie, and she was reluctant to let it go. She didn't know what she was doing with Zeke, and she was certain that if she tried to analyse it she would only wind up distressing herself and the other girls. So for now, she was just going to let it take her along.

'Uh, I had somewhere in mind…' Zeke mumbled, 'It's only another block away,'

Sharpay nodded contentedly, reminding herself of her resolution to go with the flow.

'Ok, that's good,'

For a few more feet they wandered along, Zeke leading Sharpay. The night was warm and the lights of the city were glowing bright all around them. A bass line pounded from a club that they passed by, and there was the clacking of high heels as a gaggle of inebriated women passed by them from the opposite direction. Up ahead was a construction, the façade of a store that hadn't yet been built. Scaffolding took of up most of the sidewalk, six-foot fences surrounding it threatening. Before Sharpay had time to question what that was, Zeke took a sharp right, and dove down a dark alleyway.

'Oh, great, this feels safe,' Sharpay said sarcastically as he pulled her down, through the darkness.

'It's fine,' Zeke assured her, 'I know where I'm going!'

'Really?'

'Really, really,'

They walked along the wall for a few more feet until Zeke stopped suddenly. Sharpay stumbled into him, bracing herself on his back.

'Ok, we're here,'

He fished a key out of his pocket and fiddled with the lock on a heavy metal door. With a creak it swung open, and Zeke pulled her in. As Sharpay emerged on the other side, her breath stopped short in her throat. She was standing in the makings of a restaurant. Tables were stacked four high, some already set in place as if they were in the middle of being set up. The smell of fresh paint lingered in the air, mixed with something…

'Oh my god, what is that. It smells amazing!' she gasped.

'That's the chef's special,' Zeke murmured quietly.

She looked all around her, the decorations that adorned the walls, black and white photographs of old-time movie stars. There was one table in the middle of the room with a linen cloth already draped over the table and candles flickering. And then she understood…

She turned to Zeke with a smile, 'Are we…'

'This is _Luminescence,_ opening in Albuquerque late July,'

'Wow…' she breathed, 'It's beautiful,'

He glanced around himself, admiring his own handiwork, 'Well… it's taken a while. I thought you'd like to be the world's first customer to the Albuquerque branch,'

'You did an amazing job,' she murmured, 'Absolutely amazing,'

'So are you hungry?'

She grinned then, 'Starving,'

Zeke chuckled, tucking a hand in the small of her back, 'This way the,'

Gently he guided her toward the table that had already been set up. As soon as he had pulled out her chair, and ensured she was seated, a waiter appeared at his side.

'Heya boss, can I get you anything to drink?'

Zeke smiled up at the staff member, 'Can we get a bottle of red Larry? That'd be great,'

'Sure thing boss. Your meals will be out in a few minutes,'

True to his word, Larry reappeared in mere minutes juggling two plates and a bottle of wine. With expert agility he had the food served and their wine poured before vanishing without a trace.

'Did you make this?' Sharpay asked as she tested the first mouthful of salad, 'It's amazing,'

He nodded his head bashfully, 'Uh, yeah. Just a new dish that I'm toying with…'

She lifted another forkful, her lips curling around it, 'People are going to be coming to in the droves when they taste this,'

Zeke leant back and watched her as she chewed thoughtfully on each bite she took. Occasionally she would moan appreciatively, bobbing her head, smiling ardently.

Before they knew it dinner was over, and dessert had come. Just as fast they were left with the flickering amber glow of the dying candles, dancing across her rosy skin. The tiramisu had been eaten, their plates all but licked clean. Sharpay lent back with a luxuriant sigh, taking another sip of the wine in her hands.

'That was… amazing,'

'I'm glad you enjoyed it,'

They lapsed into a brief silence, Sharpay toyed with her fork, gnawing on her bottom lip thoughtfully. There had been something niggling in the back of her mind ever since she had heard… was it rude to ask…

'Hey,' she began, 'I have a question for you,'

He looked up from the contemplation of his wine, 'Yeah?'

'Well uh… you know how Larry called you boss…'

She trailed off, lifting her eyes to Zeke. As soon as she did she realized that her suspicions had been correct. She didn't know what it meant, but she had known it was odd.

For a long moment he didn't meet her eyes. Instead he fiddled with the stray crumbs on his plate and reached out to catch a drip of wax sliding down the candle.

'Are you going to answer me?'

It was then he looked up. His eyes were insecure, uncertain and she could see him considering his next words.

'I…uh,' he began, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, 'You… um, well…'

He stopped his stammering, a frown creasing his brow. Then he straightened up in his chair, lacing his fingers together in front of him, like he was praying.

'Ok,' he started seriously, looking her unwaveringly in the eye, 'You know why I'm in Albuquerque for the summer right?'

Sharpay nodded slowly, 'Y-yes… to open up the new franchise, get it all set up for the new staff,'

'Right,' he affirmed, bobbing his head, 'That's what my boss sent me to do.'

'So?'

'So… uh, he changed his mind,' Zeke announced airily.

Sharpay frowned at him, 'What does that mean?'

'It means that my… job description has changed since I was sent out to Albuquerque. There's a reason I've been working so much in the past few days…'

'And that would be…' she prompted.

Zeke took a deep breath, bracing his shoulders. Sharpay's stomach erupted in unbidden butterflies. _Why was she so nervous?_

'I've been promoted.'

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the butterflies ceased. He'd been promoted.

'So, what does that mean?'

'It means that I have been appointed the role of head chef, here in Albuquerque. I'll be running the new restaurant.'

Sharpay froze. New job, head chef, _here in Albuquerque._

'So that means…'

His grin was momentarily faded as he surveyed her, 'Shar, don't… don't think I'm being presumptuous here and… I don't know, expecting anything from this. I just, I just wanted to let you know that… I'm moving back to Albuquerque.'

Her mind raced and she tried desperately to maintain a neutral facial expression whilst internally she flashed through a million emotions. _Panic! Laugh! Smile! Cry! Yell! Panic! Panic! Panic!_

'Please…' he begged, 'If… if you want, it doesn't have to mean anything. Albuquerque's pretty damn big. If it's what you want then… then we don't have to see each other,'

He seemed to be panicking as well. For a brief second she wondered how long he'd known that he was moving back to Albuquerque, how long he'd kept it a secret.

'Shar, please, I'm not being audacious. I… I'll only do what you want,'

He was moving to Albuquerque. He was moving back to her city, where he would be within minutes of her. They would inevitably see each other, and for the first time in years she wouldn't be alone. Her mind was still feverish, attempting to piece together all her fragmented thoughts into at least one sensible, intelligible thought. What did do? What did she say?  
For most of her life her head had called all the shots. The title of Ice Queen was hard to maintain if she allowed her emotions to get the better of her. She had considered and calculated all her moves long before she made them and she didn't handle well when things changed dramatically. She was an actress at heart, whether or not she ever got the chance to pursue it, and surprises were not something she ever liked.  
Beneath her bewildered shock she threw a glance up at Zeke. He was leaning forward almost manically, his fingers gripping the edge of the table. He thought she was going to run.

For what may have been the first time in her life Sharpay's head lost the battle, too slow to catch up with her feverish heart.

Gently she leant forward, cupping his face in her hands. With a soft, shy tenderness she met him, their lips brushing. For a moment he seemed just as thrown as her own head was and he froze beneath her hands. And then he was reciprocating, his lips moving beneath hers. They hadn't done this since the night of prom, the memories long hazy and faded, but it still felt the same. The same, giddy, starry-eyed feeling that sent her into a spin. They both stood up from their seat, still leaning over the table, to gain a better access, and his hands caressed the sides of her face.

When their lips broke apart, when air became a necessity, they fell back into their seats.

Zeke grinned across the table, glassy eyed and boyish and Sharpay's chest heaved. There was… so much to think about, so many things to consider but her heart couldn't be bothered to do it at this time. She was… happy.

She looked up at him, her own beaming grin meeting his, 'There… _that's _what I want,'

* * *

'Wow, this is gorgeous Ry,' Kelsi commented as they wandered through the park.

She had no idea how he'd heard about it, but somehow her husband had located an outdoor jazz music festival in the middle of Albuquerque. The sun was slinking behind the horizon and a new band had just struck up a slow song. The scent of jasmine lingered in the air, mixing with the salty, sticky scent of the hot dogs they sold on the corners of the park.

They were ambling along the paths, the sultry air of Albuquerque encasing them in the true spirit of the summer they had wanted all along.

'Well, we needed a break,' he replied, squeezing her waist.

As they walked side-by-side Ryan had his arm draped around her waist, and her head was resting on his shoulder. After years of practice their steps were perfectly in synch and she trusted him to guide her where she needed to go.

'Mmmm…' she hummed in agreement, 'It feels like a year since you and I have really gotten to talk and be alone,'

When they had made the decision to return to Albuquerque to visit Sharpay for a few weeks they had been in search of the summers they had once known. Those innocent ones, an escape from work, where they were surrounded by their friends and families and were just… happy. So far it hadn't turned out at all like they had planned, but now it was really beginning to feel like summer.

'Actually… talking… that's something I wanted to do,' Ryan said.

Kelsi looked up, mystified by his strangled tone. Many years of marriage and partnership and even more years of friendship had made her incredibly perceptive to all his thoughts and moods so she always panicked when she couldn't read him.

'Ok…'

'I'm just… worried,' he announced slowly, as they continued to wander along the path.

'About what?'

'About… everything. Life…'

Kelsi was instantly on guard. What was happening?

'What about life?'

He shrugged noncommittally, 'I don't know… I just… everything with Gabriella made me realize how close we came to losing everything we had. And now I realize how easy it would be for me to lose the life I love and how fast it could all be over,'

Kelsi was growing more and more concerned by the minute. Where was this going?

'What do you mean it could be over?'

'Well…' Ryan sighed, his cryptic messages continuing, 'Everything changes… people change. I mean… look at Troy, he was the most devoted… he was Gabriella's everything and we thought they were going to be together forever and then… none of us could have ever guessed. People change.'

His guided her along the path until they reached an emptier, quieter part of the park. There, a thicket of leafy trees all strung with fairy lights surrounded them and at the base of one was a simple wrought iron park bench.

'Sit down?' Ryan asked.

Kelsi nodded her head slowly, still confused by his actions. What had gotten into his head?

Clinging onto his hand, mildly terrified, she lowered herself to the bench before turning to him to grasp both hands.

'Ry, what's going on. You're scaring me,'

He shot her a wry grin, 'That's _my _line,'

Kelsi opened her mouth to say something before his words sunk in.

'Huh… what?'

'That's my line. What's going on Kels? You're scaring _me_.'

She frowned, taken aback at his claims, 'What? How could I be scaring you?'

'We left London and you were fine. You were my coffee sculling, junk food eating… wonderful wife. Now here in Albquerque I haven't seen you touch a cup of coffee or eat a single bit of anything with unidentifiable ingredients. You've been shutting me out, skirting away when I hug you… I'm confused.'

As soon as his claims were out in the open they both sat in silence. Kelsi was stunned beyond words. She honestly expected him to piece it together this fast…

'Look, Kels if you're having second thoughts about… I don't know, London or something, if you're freaking about Gabriella, hell, Kels if you don't wanna be with me anymore then… I need you to tell me. Please.'

He hadn't. He hadn't pieced it together. Kelsi didn't know what to say; had he honestly thought she wanted to leave him? How had he ever gotten those ideas in his head? How long had he been considering it?

It seemed she wasn't the only one who panicked when she couldn't read him. Now that he didn't understand her actions he jumped to the worst possible conclusions. She needed to dispel his crazy, manic thoughts. She needed to… she needed to tell him.

Immediately she began to giggle. Leaving him? Was he serious? Now that she considered it she realized that leaving him was the exact opposite of what she needed to tell him? How wrongly he had perceived her!

Ryan's pleading, desperate face fell into a disbelieving stare, 'You're laughing at me.'

His lips hung parted, his blue eyes wide and incredulous, 'How is this even remotely a laughing matter Kelsi!'

She had to steady herself on his thigh to help subside the giggles. She needed to be serious and she needed to tell him. Now.

'I'm sorry,' she gasped, 'I'm so sorry. It's just… oh, god. How could I ever leave you? I wouldn't know how to live if you weren't around!'

It was Ryan's turn to be taken aback after his initial sigh of immense relief, and he frowned, studying her curiously, 'Then… then what is it Kelsi? Why… why have you been acting so weird?'

She shook her head, swiping at her eyes, the giggles finally evaporating, 'Ry, you need to know that I never want you to think like that again ok? You need to talk to me?'

He nodded, unwilling to prolong her part of the conversation any longer, 'Yeah, ok, you were saying?'

She shook her head, butterflies erupting in the pit of her stomach, 'Ok, here it is.'

He gathered both her hands in his, holding them close to him in his unsaid declaration of love. _No matter what you say, I'm here._

Kelsi took a little courage from that and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the words she was about to say next.

'You know how I was sick before we left for London?'

He nodded slowly, surprised that she had started there of all places.

'Well… I'd been "sick" for a while before that, and… I was starting to get concerned. Just before we got on the plane, I found out that I… well that I wasn't sick,'

Ryan's concern grew in intensity and his hands were gripping at hers tightly.

'W-what…'

She couldn't control the tremor in her voice as she blurted the next words.

'Ryan I'm pregnant,'

There. The words were out of her mouth, what happened next was in his court.

He was silent for along time, his body slack with astonishment, completely blown away by her out-of-left-field announcement.

'Uh…' he stammered uselessly, 'You… uh…'

She nodded slowly, wondering absently whether or not it was possible for her pounding heart to break a rib.

'But… uh… how…' he continued, his brain ceasing to function in that moment.

'Well Ry… when you and I…'

'I know…' he began, still shaky and blank, 'But…'

'Ry, this is just how it is. I'm pregnant. I'm twelve weeks pregnant with your baby and…'

'My baby,' he murmured reverently, '_My _baby,'

Kelsi was a little taken aback by the tender way his tongue tested out the words.

'My baby. You're twelve weeks… _my _baby,'

And then his head snapped up, his eyes dancing excitedly, 'You're pregnant!' he exclaimed, 'Oh my god, you're… you're pregnant!'

He had her swept up into his arms within seconds and she shrieked delightedly, 'You're pregnant!'

He was spinning her around, triumphant whoops lifting from his chest. They mingled in the air with her blissful laughter and it was then she realized that everything was going to be perfect.

When he placed her back down on her feet, he swooped in for a passionate kiss, holding her close to his body. Minutes ago he had been a man convinced he was on the verge of losing his wife, and now… now he was going to be a father. Nothing was going to stop his ecstatic behaviour.

'You're pregnant,' he whispered, his voice completely awe-struck, 'I'm going to be a dad and… oh Kelsi, this is amazing,'

She scooped up his hands that were wrapped tightly around her neck and guided them down to her still-flat stomach. There was so little time left before… before everything would change.

For a moment, surrounded by the trees and golden glowing lights, the faint strains of jazz pulling in the air, they stood together, in total awe of their own miracle.

'Congratulations Ry, you're gonna be a dad,' she whispered.

* * *

'Aaaahhh…' she sighed as she stepped under the spray of the shower.

For the first time since her friends had left, her watchful nurse had left her side. She had been given the go-ahead to shower, and Gabriella had all intentions of curling up in her uncomfortable bed for the rest of the night just sleeping.

The hot water slid down her body, sluicing off the past few days exhaustion and fatigue. The steaming liquid worked at the knots and tension in her shoulders, created from that one silly question.

In retrospect, she wasn't entirely sure why she'd asked. They'd been ok, distant, but still comfortable in their sort-of-friendship up until that point, up until his stupid little game. Why did he even start?

It had all been light hearted fun and games until he'd asked her what it had been like. Even then she didn't know what to tell him? How did she describe the soul shattering pain and endless, dark oblivion that had been her life for many years?

And then it was her turn for a question. She was there holding onto the hand that had once slid a diamond on her finger, promising her the world. She was holding onto the hand that had explored every inch of her skin, held every corner of her heart. She had to ask the question.

When she started piecing her life back together again she always considered what it would be like if she ever saw him again. What would she say, what would they do? Sometimes she liked to imagine herself looking fabulous with another man at her arm, loftily explaining to him how wonderful her life was without him. Sometimes it was the other way around, sometimes and they were usually nightmares that had her waking in a cold sweat, where she was shabby, without makeup and single while Troy swanned down the street with a beautiful, pregnant wife. But in every single scenario she had been bold enough to ask him the one question that had haunted her every waking moment, 'Why did you leave?'

She had been presented with her real opportunity to ask that question. Albeit she was in a hospital gown, a wheelchair on the ready to catch her if she fell, but she had asked her question.

And then they had been interrupted. Her friends had unwittingly destroyed the one moment that may have finally given her closure, helped her move forward again.

He had ran after she asked, his tail between his legs, his head down. Now he was never going to answer it.

With a heavy sigh, Gabriella switched off the water, the pipes clanging as she did. She swathed herself in a towel, already drying down her legs as she stepped out and into the cramped bathroom.

She stopped in front of the mirror, her stomach twisting painfully. Reflected in the mirror was a girl she barely recognized. Her head completely bare except for a waterproof dressing circling the back of her head. If she turned her head at the right angle she could just see the beginnings of an ugly pink scar darting out from underneath them. There was another set of sutures tracking down the side of her face from where her hairline used to be to just above her ear. The girl staring back at her was pale faced and… sick. She looked like she'd been hit by a truck.

Gabriella felt a sense of familiarity; the first time that Taylor had pulled her off the bathroom floor after Troy left. Taylor had been struggling to support Gabriella's dead weight, begging to collapse back to the floor and yet somehow she managed to hold her long enough to get her out of the room and onto the living room floor. It had also been long enough for Gabriella to catch a glimpse of herself through the mirror. That girl was a whole new person to the girl that she had remembered seeing mere days before. The girl Gabriella remembered had been young and bright eyed and smiley. Gabriella never saw _that _girl again and from that day on the pallid, sunken-eyed girl with no reason to live always stared back at her.

Gabriella sighed again as she slipped a loose hanging, oversized t-shirt over her body. She hated when she would be entrapped in thoughts like this… she just wanted to sleep, make it all disappear.

She pushed open the bathroom door, stepping into her room, already preparing herself for a long night of mental torments.

'Uh…hi…'

Gabriella stifled a surprised shriek as a warm male voice interrupted her reverie.

'Troy,' she breathed, 'W-what…'

Troy was there, standing in the corner of her room, his hands in his pockets.

'Um… look, I'm sorry. I probably should have asked first if it was ok…' he began hurriedly, stepping forward to her, 'The nurse said you were busy and that I should wait here. I didn't realise you were in the shower,'

Gabriella waved her hand dismissively, still a little shaky from the surprise. She wandered over to her bed, hoisting herself up. Immediately Troy hopped to her side, helping pull the blankets over her hips.

'Uh…thanks,' she said quietly.

Without anything to do, Troy stood there for a moment, shifting from one foot to another. She had never seen him look so uncomfortable.

'Um, ok, so this is going to sound really stupid, but… I just thought that you'd like some real food to eat,'

Gabriella's ears pricked. Real food?

'And, well… the nurse said it was ok, so…'

He bent down, retrieving two paper bags off the floor. He then placed them on her bed at her feet and began to present the items to her.

'So we have hot chicken noodle soup and some fresh bread rolls… and we have a bottle of grape juice and some plastic wine glasses,'

Gabriella giggled as he produced the plastic cups. He had gone to great efforts.

'Anyway, we have some…'

'Oh,' Gabriella sighed, 'You didn't,'

Immediately self conscious Troy froze, 'What?'

She sighed, luxuriously this time, 'You are a god sent; you brought chocolate covered strawberries,'

He glanced down at the last container, read her reaction and then grinned.

'Well… I thought it would be a nice touch,'

'That is real food,'

He chuckled, 'Anyway, that's our… feast.'

She beamed up at him genuinely, 'Thankyou Troy. This is… really kind,'

'Ok, so you ready to eat?'

'I've been ready since I woke up!'

With a laugh, Troy began to dish out the soup. Within minutes they were both eating, him cross-legged at the foot of her bed, slurping from his own soup.

She studied him carefully, watching his reaction to anything she said. He was cautious, on edge, he…

'Why are you here Troy?' she asked quietly in a moment of silence.

Troy's bright blue eyes lifted to meet hers, wide and nervous, 'Um…'

'Come on, why are you here? You didn't just come up for dinner because you had nowhere else to go. You have your parent's house to go. So why are you here?'

Troy shook his head, setting down his bowl of chicken soup, 'I was actually hoping to get past main course before we broached the topic, but…ok, now's good.'

He sighed heavily, lacing his fingers in front of him, 'You asked me a question yesterday. It was the question to which the answer is… five years overdue. You should never had to have asked that question. I should have done everything differently and for that I'm sorry,'

It was the first true apology she had heard from him, the first time she had heard him apologize for everything he had done.

'You asked me a question and I need to give you an answer,'

Her heart wrenched. He was going to give her an answer… _the _answer that she had been waiting for, for so long.

He took another deep breath, steeling his shoulders.

'Ok, here goes nothing. I just need you to hear me out the whole way.'

She nodded solemnly, her heart thundering against her rib cage. _Oh god, oh god. _She'd waited five years for this.

He nodded slowly, 'That day… do you remember it,'

She wanted to roll her eyes. How could she ever forget?

'That day, I had a meeting with the Lakers rep. He told me he was interested, that they wanted to have me on the team.'

She sat mute, pinned to the bed. She felt somehow disjointed to the scene, as if she was watching it away from her body, watching all the events unfold.

'He told me that it as best for me to start my career fresh. To be the single, mysterious new guy. As a "hot commodity" it would help to create a name,'

He sighed wearily, raking a hand through his hair, 'Anyway, I told the guy he was full of crap. I told him there was no way that I could leave you, that I was well and truly taken and there was very little he could do about that,'

Gabriella found herself marginally comforted by the meagre fact. She wasn't dumped because someone told him to. It sounded like the Troy she had loved.

'He shrugged and said that if I was prepared to bring a woman into a life like the one I was signing myself up to then it was my problem and that it would never last, but he wouldn't try and convince me otherwise. I couldn't go home after that. I sat in a diner for hours, thinking about everything he'd said. Was I really going to bring you into a life that you didn't deserve?'

By now he wasn't even meeting his eyes, his soup discarded, his hands twisting and knotting in his lap, 'We hadn't had that discussion, we hadn't talked about what happened after college, because, well, we thought we had two more years. We had never expected it to happen so suddenly. It was then I knew that…someday, somewhere down the track we would have to say goodbye. The question was when. Sitting there in that diner, I could foresee us in four years time. You would be dividing your time between law school and me. Driving up on weekends to see me, unable to get married because we lived so far away from one another. You would be under crippling stress because you were trying to juggle two lives and something would suffer. Eventually you would start spending fewer weekends in my arms, start working closer to college and I would be at games all over the country. All I could see was a chasm growing between us, until eventually… there was nothing. There wouldn't be a goodbye, we would just… fall out of love. One day we would have been engaged and then over time you would have stopped wearing the ring. There would be no formality, we just would just… cease to be.'

He looked up then, his baby blue eyes bloodshot and wrought with agony as he pleaded with her.

'I didn't want that. I didn't want to fall out of love, I didn't want to drift away. You deserved better than that and I knew you wouldn't understand. I knew then and there that it had to be done fast, rip the bandaid off. I knew that it had to be done now, or I would never go through with it. So… I went home and packed my bags and got on the next bus to LA that night,'

He concluded his morose story with a sigh, his face flooded with shame and pain.

'I told myself for years that I had done the right thing, that by leaving you I was sheltering _you _from the world of Hollywood and paparazzi and rumours. That I was doing this for you. But in actuality, I was protecting my heart. I didn't want to be the vague memory, I didn't want to be the guy you no longer loved, the one who you would idly recall as someone it "didn't work out" with. I wanted to be a part of you and I wanted you to be a part of me forever. In protecting myself, I hurt you and for that I will be… eternally regretful. I am so, so sorry.'

Gabriella had been rendered motionless throughout his speech, trapped to the bed with no words for him. What did she…

Troy ducked his eyes, that were glistening with unshed tears that screamed his pain and remorse. Gabriella's heart wrenched; she had finally gotten her answers, gotten those words that she had longed to hear for five long years. He had finally said it.

'I… I think I should leave,' he murmured gruffly, scrubbing at his face, 'Gabriella, I hope that one day you can forgive me, even though what I did… it was unforgivable,'

He had finally told her. He had finally given her a reason, an excuse to his disappearance, his blatant removal from her life.

It felt like a little piece of her cracked and bruised heart healed with his words. She wouldn't pretend to understand it, because she couldn't, she may never would understand his motives, but she respected the fact that he had the courage to give her the answer, to help her heal a little bit more. She respected that he had given her the one thing she had longed for.

'No, stay,' she whispered.

Troy turned, half way to the door. His face told her nothing but silent shock as he stared at her.

'Stay?' he replied.

She felt nervous and jittery, the whole experience still surreal; that was the moment that was five years overdue.

'Stay,' she echoed, 'Please.'

'But…'

'But nothing,' she murmured, 'I don't understand, I honestly don't, but I admire how much you gave, how honourable it is that you told me the answer anyway. Thankyou. Please stay,'

She patted the mattress beside her, prompting him to slowly, cautiously shuffle closer to her. When she didn't cease he lifted himself up onto the bed so that their bodies were almost touching.

He was right; by leaving the way he did, they never truly fell out of love. Did that mean that they were still in love? Would she always hold a place for him in her heart? Did it mean that she would never feel closure?

Pushing aside all the bubbling questions Gabriella allowed her instincts to take over. She leant forward, their knees finally bumping, destroying the invisible barrier between them. She wrapped her thin arms around his frame, pulling herself close to his chest. She let her chin drop to his shoulder as his own arms, rigid with shock came to curl around her.

'Thankyou for telling me Troy,' she whispered.

They sat together, contemplating the new possibilities they were presented with. Now the future seemed a little brighter, their friendship a little stronger, her heart a little more whole. Tomorrow might be a better day.

* * *

_Hold me now, don't let me let myself go down  
It's eternity we're all up against now_

_- Fatis Valour_

* * *

***Gnaws fingernails nervously*. . can testify to the fact that I have been stressed over this chapter and your reaction. Please review, I'm really interested in your thoughts!**


	20. For A Moment

It seemed his confession had been a shadow hanging over them, a barrier forcing them apart until it was out in the open. Suddenly without the unsaid things between them life was much easier.

As the weeks passed she grew healthier, her skin glowed a little brighter and all around her, it almost felt like high school again. Her and Troy found themselves curled up on her bed laughing, as he'd recount stories to her, tickling her sides. Sometimes Taylor and Chad would join them and sometimes they would be in a full room with everyone together laughing, revelling in easy nostalgia.

It was moments like that that they all cherished the most. When it was so pressed for breathing space that even when Troy sat on Gabriella's bed, Taylor sat on Chad's lap and Zeke and Sharpay leant against the wall, Ryan still had to lift Kelsi off her feet so that they would fit in the room.

'All I'm saying,' Chad choked out amidst roiling laughter, 'All I'm saying is that if she really wanted to go out with me… why did it take a drunken night?'

The pitch of hysteria rose in the room as Chad finished his statement that he had been struggled to get out for ten minutes. He would make it only a few words before he would be overcome by laughter, before fighting to get the next few words out. The mood was infectious and without a true idea of the story they had found themselves descending into the same fits of laughter that Chad was wrought with.

Sharpay scowled at Chad viciously from the other side of the room, 'I was fifteen; _you_ had supplied me with vodka. Of course I was grateful,'

Chad snorted, rolling his eyes, 'What ever Evans, you so wanted me back then!'

Her glare deepened, 'If I could move, I would…'

'You'd what?' Chad taunted, 'You'd beat me up Evans?'

Troy shrugged from his place at Gabriella's feet, 'She probably would,'

That silenced Chad and Sharpay grinned smugly, high-fiving Troy pertly, 'Thankyou,'

'Just telling the truth,'

Her friends didn't know what had happened that night; they didn't understand Gabriella and Troy's renewed friendship. But they didn't need to know and instead embraced the new, comfortable relationship that they all shared. The more time he spent joking, chatting and laughing with everyone else the more they all began to feel it. The threads that he had broken when he walked out were slowly weaving themselves around him again, pulling him further and further into them.

'Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!' Sharpay began to shriek, 'Gross alert!'

Her noise drew the group's attention to Ryan and Kelsi who were tightly entwined with one another, their eyes locked in gooey stares.

Sharpay made a gagging sound, 'Please… _please _get a room,'

It had become a habit of Ryan and Kelsi's ever since they had announced she was pregnant. It had been one of the many things that had attributed to the giddy mood that all the Wildcats were in. Every so often they would just slip away into their own little world, their hands linked, dreamy looks in their eyes. Nothing wrecked their happy bubble.

Sharpay slapped her brother's arm, 'Stop it! Stop it!'

That startled Ryan and he turned to glare it his sister, 'Shar!' he cried, exasperated.

'It's gross,' Sharpay shrugged, 'I'm your twin, I've seen enough of you as it is,'

Gabriella laughed and struck up conversation to diffuse the glares Ryan was shooting at Sharpay.

'What sex do you think it is?'

'Girl,' Ryan and Kelsi chimed.

Sharpay's eyes lit up and Ryan glared playfully at her, 'I won't let her wear _any _pink just because of you,'

Sharpay looked mortally offended, 'What kind of she-male will you be breeding if you don't let her wear pink! I'm going to need to take care of the child for years just to undo the damage you're thinking of doing!'

'You're never going to _touch _my child Sharpay!' Ryan threatened, 'Ever! If you have your claws on it for even a second…'

'She'll probably _Bedazzle_ it. It'll have little pink diamantes in it's forehead,' Chad scoffed.

Sharpay shot a murderous glare at Chad who shrunk back in his seat, murmuring terrified apologies.

'I'll be doing the child a favour,' she remarked snidely, jutting her chin out, 'It'll love me,'

Gabriella grimaced, watching the exchange between the siblings tentatively, 'Ok… ok… how about… we talk about… _something else_,'

'You just really wanna argue with someone today don't you Shar?' Troy laughed, 'It's been a while since you've had students to mock and so you're desperate to strike up an argument with someone,'

She turned her deadly glare on him, 'Watch it and you'll be next,'

'Well, with that I think it's best that we all clear out of here!' Taylor announced breezily.

Sharpay screwed up her face, frustration evident, 'Because of me? You're leaving _because of me!_'

Taylor nodded, 'Yes sweetie, I love you. So I'm going to leave for both our sakes. Look at it this way, I'm saving your friendship and new relationship by getting us all to leave,'

Zeke snorted, 'That's great logic,'

'Wait! Hey!' Gabriella protested from the bed, 'Um… me? Hello, I can't exactly go very far, I'm still waiting for the nurse to come back!'

Taylor faked an unconvincing smile, 'You'll be fine honey. The nurse will be here soon anyway, I'm sure Sharpay won't have done… _much_… damage in that time!'

No amount of protesting on Gabriella's behalf would cease the motions of her friends abandoning her. Even Troy found himself being dragged of the bed by a firm hand from Taylor, pointing out the threat he was placing on his manhood by staying in a small room with a bored and narky Sharpay.

Gabriella and Sharpay were ruffled indignantly as the group disbanded bit by bit.

'Fine! Just leave!' Gabriella called after Taylor and Chad's retreating backs.

'We'll have more fun than all of you put together!' Sharpay threatened as Ryan and Kelsi backed out of the room.

'Zeke… you wouldn't do this to her, would you?' Gabriella pouted, 'Come on, keep up company,'

'So Gabs,' Zeke shrugged, 'You'll be fine!'

'Troy, honey, darling,' Sharpay pleaded, 'Come on, you don't want to leave Gabriella alone with _me_ now do you? What if something happens? What if she has another seizure?'

Gabriella hissed patronizingly at Sharpay as Troy froze, his eyes flashing.

'W-what?' he stumbled, 'What did you…'

'Geez Shar!' Gabriella sighed, exasperated, 'Come on, don't do that. It's not nice,'

'What did you just say?'

'Seriously Troy, she's only like… three weeks out of brain surgery. It's all been going _too_ smooth don't you think?'

Troy genuinely seemed worried, concern pulling at all his handsome features.

'Maybe… maybe you're right…. Maybe I should…'

Sharpay beamed widely, certain that she was winning the argument. She could leave, Troy would stay and she would be allowed to continue her pink-is-perfect propaganda on her brother.

'Troy, Troy… look at me,' Gabriella urged gently.

Troy lifted his eyes, thoughtful and contemplative up to Gabriella.

'I'm _not _going anywhere. I'm just fine, just like I've been fine for the past three weeks.'

'But…'

'But nothing. Leave me with Sharpay… we'll be fine!'

'Gabi!' Sharpay whined.

'But what if…'

'Look, Troy,' she sighed, 'Worst case scenario, despite what Sharpay says, she loves me and she has a cell phone. You'd be up here in two seconds flat,'

Troy looked a little more convinced, 'Ok… but if…'

'Leave!' she insisted.

With Gabriella's blessing Troy turned on his heels and fled from the room, only pausing to spare her one last apprehensive glance.

When they were gone, Gabriella nudged Sharpay's shoulder sternly, 'That wasn't very nice Ms Evans,' she scolded, 'You had him in a fit,'

'Well it's not my fault that…'

She trailed her, her hazel eyes suddenly sparkling mischievously. Gabriella stiffened, sitting bolt upright.

'It's not your fault that what?' Gabriella demanded, her eyes wide.

Sharpay grinned wickedly, 'You know _what_,'

Gabriella looked completely baffled, 'No, I do not know what! _What!_'

'Oh come on, you're telling me that… _that _there, the minor heart attack he just had was normal? You wanna tell me there's nothing interesting about him being with you all the time!'

Gabriella huffed, 'I don't know what you're talking about…'

'I'm just saying… there's seriously nothing between you and…'

Gabriella's eyes widened and she recoiled, 'Sharpay! Oh my god! Of _course _there's nothing between us! I would… I could never… Shar!'

'The hugging? And the laughing? You're not feeling anything are you? Remembering what it used to be like…'

'No!' she shrieked, 'No! I can't… I mean, I'm not! We're friends! That's all! We could never be… Oh god, Shar! No!'

Sharpay smirked, 'Hmm… defensive, flustered. Interesting!'

'SHAR!'

'Good morning ladies!' a cheerful albeit curious voice interrupted.

Sharpay and Gabriella looked up from their "discussion" to see Dr Meyers standing at the door, clutching a clipboard. The look on his face was torn between concern and amusement as he watched the two bickering girls.

'I have the results from your latest scans,' he said slowly, eyeing the girls, unsure whether or not he should continue.

Gabriella straightened up, almost sending Sharpay toppling off the bed. She glared playfully at Gabriella before positioning herself by Gabriella's head.

Cautiously the doctor stepped further into the room, until he sat at the end of Gabriella's bed.

'Ok, the scans were just to ensure that there was no residual bleeding or swelling post-op,' the doctor began, flicking through his notes.

No matter how many times they had done this, the experience never got any less nerve wracking, and despite Gabriella's frustration at Sharpay, their hands intertwined, squeezing tightly.

'And, as was expected…' he said carefully, 'The scans came back… clean,'

Sharpay and Gabriella both let out an audible sigh, and Sharpay sagged against the wall in relief.

'That means that progress is moving along nicely. You're doing well in the recovery process,'

'When do I get to go home?' Gabriella asked.

The doctor shrugged, 'Who knows… hopefully soon, we'll just keep monitoring progress,'

Gabriella rolled her eyes exasperatedly and the doctor laughed, 'I _know _that you wanna get out of here, but I'm not going to run that risk! Just take care of yourself, that'll speed up the process,'

He stood, sticking his hands in the pockets of his lab coat, 'Well, that's all. Have uh… fun with the rest of your day,'

Gabriella smiled, 'Thanks doctor,'

With that the doctor swept from the room, and Sharpay clapped her hands together cheerfully, 'So where were we?'

Gabriella shook her head, 'I'm not getting into this with you Shar.'

'Oh… _please_!' she begged, 'Are you seriously going to deny the looks that he gives you?'

'There are no looks,' Gabriella insisted, her voice placid in an attempt to avoid another argument, 'He and I are just friends,'

'How do you feel about him?'

'The same way I'll _always _feel about him. He was my first love, he'll always have a place in my heart whether I like it or not,'

'Was he your only…'

'Shar, enough,' Gabriella warned, 'He and I are friends. _Friends_. We would never try anything else ever again. Besides I'm sure he's well and truly over me. He's a Hollywood guy now,'

Gabriella's eye slid away from Sharpay's and the blonde grinned gleefully. Her friend was so clueless…

Maybe she was completely wrong in her observations, but she doubted it. Things were going to start changing soon…

* * *

Somehow food became a priority after they fled from Sharpay. Without intention they had wound up in the centre of the quiet cafeteria, all ordering food from the bored looking staff. Over the past few weeks the cafeteria had become, as the waiting room had once been, their home. There was one table in the centre of the room big enough for at least six of them, which they inhabited when Gabriella was sleeping or getting tests done.

Troy leant back in his chair, still jittery from Sharpay's taunts. He knew how unlikely it was, but still, the prospect of losing her… not an easy one to bear.

'How many are you exactly eating for?' Taylor teased Kelsi across the table.

Kelsi screwed up her face at Taylor just as playfully, and continued to eat her fries.

'You may as well eat for your husband,' Chad remarked, 'He's too busy… hovering,'

Ryan was sitting beside Kelsi, his hand resting on her shoulder, gently hovering to ensure that she was happy.

'You can't have a cake like that,' Zeke interrupted abruptly.

He was flicking through Taylor's arsenal of bridal magazines, studying the wedding cakes.

'It's a horrible cake, no matter _who _makes it. It always has a horrible texture,'

Taylor nodded slowly, withdrawing her attention on Kelsi to turn to Zeke, 'Ok, then what about with a marzipan coating,'

Zeke wrinkled his nose, 'Nope. You don't want that. Otherwise you'll have one of those wedding cakes that every thinks is beautiful but ends up wrapping it up in the napkin and depositing it in their purses. You want it to be edible,'

Taylor nodded again, humming thoughtfully, 'Um… I'm feeling a little lost,'

Troy leant over from his seat beside Zeke, 'Get that one. It looks good,'

Zeke scoffed, 'It's chocolate,'

'I like chocolate,' Troy replied petulantly.

'But you don't have a chocolate wedding cake,'

'Some people do…'

'Ok, ok… before two grown men get into a fight about cake…' Taylor interrupted.

The three of them laughed before Zeke shook his head again, concentrated on the magazine.

'Ok, I give up,' he sighed, 'You pick your colour scheme first, then we'll talk cake. Either way you're not having marzipan on it,'

'Yes sir,' Taylor nodded seriously.

Zeke got to his feet, 'I now need to man up a little before Chad sees me! I'm going to go talk basketball…'

Taylor began to laugh, 'See ya!'

As Zeke wandered away, Troy got to his feet himself.

'Where are you going?' Taylor asked.

'Vending machines. I'm gonna get Gabi some candy,' he replied, jerking his head towards the bank of vending machines behind them.

'Oh… ok, I'll help you choose,'

Troy waited for Taylor to gather her belongings, and they both set off towards the back wall. They fell into step easily, silence lurking between them.

As they approached the vending machine, Troy pulled out his wallet with no hesitation. He began scanning the rows of candy thoughtfully, frowning as he did.

'Does she still like Junior Mints?' he asked.

Taylor wasn't in the least bit surprised that he still remembered. If he truly was the Troy he used to be he _would _remember something like that.]

'Yeah,' she smiled softly, 'She does,'

Troy nodded, feeding a handful of dollar bills into the machine and pressing the corresponding buttons. Taylor couldn't help but smile; there didn't seem to be a desire to impress anyone, just to make Gabriella happy.

'What else do you think I should get?'

Taylor shrugged, leaning up against the wall, 'Your call,'

He pondered for a few more seconds before selecting another candy and purchasing it.

The machine clunked and groaned as it released the packet to plummet to the ground.

Troy scrambled for the packet, plucking it out and holding it up.

'She does still like these right?' he asked, concerned.

Taylor began to laugh. His face was puckered with genuine concern, fear as to whether or not she would enjoy the candy.

'What?' he asked, 'Doesn't she like these?'

She shook her head, still smiling, 'God, no. She loves those… it's just… you haven't changed. _At all._'

He quirked an eyebrow at her, 'What does that mean?'

'It means that despite being Mr-Hollywood-Big shot-Asshole-Who-Left-My-Friend… despite all of that, you're still Troy Bolton, clueless romantic,'

He squawked on the last word, 'Romantic?'

'I… I think I missed it,' she sighed nostalgically, ignoring his protests, 'I really feel like I've missed it all these years,'

'Missed it?'

She looked up, suddenly fixing him with piercingly clear stare. Her eyes were reminiscent and she offered him a gentle, bittersweet smile.

'You know… for years, ever since you left, there's been… a hole, I guess. A hole where _you _used to stand. It was a gap somewhere between Gabi and Chad are, and it was gaping and raw and it was _always there. _We were always aware when we were all together that something was missing, an integral part of each and every one of us, a part that made up "The Wildcats". Without it, we never knew quite the right things to say, we were always at loss for the emptiness we felt,'

Troy began to murmur but Taylor held up a hand silencing him, 'For five years now we've been carrying around a missing piece of ourselves and all this time it's been you. The missing piece. And now… now that you're back? It feels like for the first time in years that it's beginning to heal itself again. We're _all _beginning to heal again.'

She stared at him for another long moment, a curious smile playing on her lips, 'I'm glad you're back,' she murmured.

With that she turned on her heel and glided from the room, leaving Troy alone by the vending machines.

He sighed heavily, falling back against the wall. He wasn't going to deny it; he'd felt it too. Was this where he had belonged all these years?

* * *

'Hey there!' Troy greeted as he bounded into her room ten minutes later. He'd pulled himself together again just in time for Zeke to tell him that they were going up to see Gabriella again.

'Hey!' Gabriella replied just as cheerfully.

'I brought you presents,' he offered.

Gabriella clapped her hands together, 'Good man!'

He thrust the two packages of candy at her and she squealed, 'Good _good _man!'

The rest of the group laughed as Gabriella showed no hesitation in ripping open the Junior Mints box.

'So good,' she hummed through a mouthful of chocolate.

Sharpay grinned devilishly at him, 'That was a _nice _gift Troy,'

Gabriella's satisfied glow disappeared and she elbowed Sharpay severely in the ribs, 'Don't start this again!'

'What!' the blonde asked, batting her eyes innocently, 'I just said how _nice _it was of him to do something for his _friend_,'

Gabriella shoved Sharpay, who was sent tumbling off the bed with a squawk, 'Shut up Shar,'

'Ok, shutting up,' she murmured from the floor.

Troy and Chad exchanged confused looks, while Taylor kicking Sharpay lightly with her foot.

'You're a bad girl Shar,' she patronized.

'Oops,' she giggled.

'Anyway,' Taylor announced, clapping her hands together, 'Did you have a look at the wedding colours I asked you about?'

Gabriella nodded, 'I did…'

With that the group was launched into another lengthy, upbeat discussion about the wedding and for a moment there was complete peace. Sharpay feigned upset when Taylor shot down her enthusiasm for a pink wedding and Kelsi laughed as she comforted a pouting Sharpay.

Chad offered that her own wedding could be pink causing both Zeke and Sharpay to redden and mumble hurried excuses. Gabriella's eyes glittered with excitement and she positively hummed happiness. For a moment, everything was content, everything was perfect. They were a family, whole and healthy, as they used to be. For a moment.

Troy's newly replaced phone began to ring in his pockets and he quietly excused himself from the room.

He stepped out into the corridor, the bubbling chatter still following him out. Without glancing at the screen he picked it up, pressing the phone to his ear.

'Hello, Troy Bolton speaking,'

'BOLTON!'

At that one mere word, his stomach sank and his skin crawled. He _really _should have checked caller ID.

'Uh… Mr Lattimer, sir, hi.'

'What the HELL are you doing!' he bellowed on the other end.

Troy was certain he could hold his phone away from his ear and hear his boss with perfect clarity.

'Um… I'm, standing in the corridor of a hospital… talking to you sir?'

'IN ALBUQUERQUE!'

'Yes…'

'Bolton…'

* * *

It was twenty minutes later before his conversation ended.

'Of course Mr Lattimer. I understand… yes. Ok…'

As he ended the call, he scrambled to shove his phone away with shaking hands. He felt nauseous, his stomach twisting and turning and he broke out in a cold sweat. He had just… it meant that…

What was he doing?

He could barely support himself on his own feet. Things had just started to get good and…

What did he do now?

Uneasily he walked back towards the room. The merriment was still in full swing, frothy and noisy, giggles and expressions of their joy floating through the air to him.

Why did he let this happen?

He hoped that he could just slip into the room unnoticed, he didn't want to be the one to make the laughter stop.

As soon as he had stepped foot into the room however, his worst fears were realized. Sharpay squealed at his arrival, lifting up her arms in greeting.

'Trooooy!' she giggled cheerfully.

He couldn't even fake her the smile that he needed. He was too preoccupied, his mind racing with the future.

His lack of reciprocation was what killed the laughter. They frowned curiously at him, taking in his pale, clammy skin and shaky hands. They observed the concentration in his eyes and the ramrod stiffness in his spine.

'W-what's going on Troy?' Taylor questioned softly, the first one to break the silence, 'Are you okay?'

'Dude… you don't look so good. You should lie down,' Zeke suggested helpfully.

Their concern grew when he ignored all their suggestions and continued to stare weakly at his feet.

They stared at him in silence for many long moments, their worry and curiosity burning holes in his skin.

And then there was a soft gasp.

Immediately Troy's head jerked up and his eyes met with Gabriella's; wide, dark and achingly knowing. Their eyes locked firmly and then he _knew _that she knew.

'H-He's leaving,' she whispered shakily.

* * *

_For a moment all the world was right  
How could I have known you'd ever say goodbye?  
- __Westlife_

* * *

**Hey guys, me again. Thank you **_**all **_**for the overwhelming response for the last two chapters, you are truly all amazing! **

**One tiny side thing; for those of you who read Pandora147's stories (and if you don't, you should be) you would have heard about the Livejournal community called Into The Lines (**_http://communitydotlivejournaldotcomshalshintothelines_** - change the dots and slashes with the real punctuation) which are taking nominations for High School Musical fanfic awards. Keep that in mind for all of your favourite stories and authors because there are so many authors out there who put so many hours into their works and showing them this support would be wonderful. I'll post the link in my profile for any of those who want to participate; it only takes a few moments to set up a LJ account if you don't have one.**


	21. Not How The Story Ends

**Before we start this, I need to recommend one thing. The soundtrack that inspired this chapter and may aid in your reading were the songs Before The Worst by the Script and Breathe by Taylor Swift. I'll post Youtube links to them on my profile if you'd like to listen to them.**

* * *

_Immediately Troy's head jerked up, and his eyes met with Gabriella's; wide, dark and achingly knowingly. Their eyes locked firmly, and then he knew that she knew._

'_H-He's leaving,' she whispered shakily._

A disbelieving murmur rippled through the group and Gabriella shook her head vehemently, 'No… he's leaving. He's going back… he has the same look in his eye.'

If he hadn't felt disjointed from his own body, Troy knew he would have felt the tug of pain at that. She _knew _that look in his eye. She had seen it all before.

'Troy, is that true?' Taylor asked, her voice unusually serious and apprehensive, quavering slightly.

He looked around, barely meeting the eyes of every single one of the people gathered with him. Zeke, biting his lip, one arm around his girlfriend protectively. The blonde was frowning for once; completely oblivious to her usual aversion for wrinkles, her lips forming the slightest of a pout, her hazel eyes filling with dread. Kelsi's lips agape, forming the perfect horrified O, her husband looking woozy with sheer shock, Chad shaking his head and Taylor… Taylor's eyes welling with tears.

'Yeah…' he croaked hoarsely.

This time it was a horrified gasp that ripped through their friends. Kelsi let out a soft sob and Sharpay's frown grew angry and harsh.

'How can you leave? How can you just… leave! You waltz back into our lives and you makes us friends with you again and then… and then you just _leave_?' she demanded.

'This isn't my choice…' he began quietly.

'Of _course _this isn't your choice,' Taylor stepped in, attacking him viciously, 'It's never your fault! I was right, you really haven't changed,'

He felt like Taylor had slapped him, but it just didn't sting. All he could see were Gabriella's mournful, glistening doe-eyes, staring at him so innocently hurt. _Why are you doing this?_

'I can't believe we fell for this _crap_ again!' Taylor seethed, her fingers curling into fists, 'I can't believe we… ugh!'

She looked on the verge of screaming and Troy felt a sense of kinship. All he wanted to do was scream. This wasn't how things were supposed to work out in the end!

'Hey, Bolton,' Gabriella said softly, 'Let's going for a walk,'

He looked back at her, her arms were held aloft expectantly and despite the sadness in her eyes, she was waiting for him.

'W-what?'

'Come on… you look like you need to go for a walk. Let's get out of here for a while,'

He nodded numbly and with lithe grace she slid out of bed. Her friends watched on in distrustful silence, as she perched in the wheelchair by the bed and waited patiently for Troy. Urging his limbs to function, he stumbled forward, grasping the back of the wheelchair. Without meeting anyone else's eyes, he began to push Gabriella out of the room.

They were both silent for many minutes as they trundled along the hall. The standard mid-morning hospital bustle was all around them, but all Troy was aware of was the knowledge that her mind was racing with questions, thoughts and the desire for explanations. All from him.

He didn't know what to tell her, not just yet. He could barely wrap his own mind around his thoughts and in any case their surroundings weren't the best for a personal conversation.

'Do you wanna go somewhere… more private?' Troy asked quietly, leaning down to whisper.

Gabriella nodded slowly, 'Ok,'

Gently he scooped her tiny frame up his arms, and discarded the wheelchair by the door frame.

'Ok, here we go…'

With great caution he pushed open the heavy metal door with his hip and began to clamber up the set of stairs. He was hyper-aware of her body in his arms, and winced at every movement that jolted her.

'I can walk you know,' she said quietly after a long impenetrable silence.

'Not up these stairs. You can walk when we get up there,'

She fell into submissive silence as the clunked up the stairs, until they finally reached the top. Troy eased her back onto her feet and tugged on the door. He then stepped aside and allowed her to go ahead.

Gabriella padded barefoot out onto the roof, Troy close behind her. As the balmy, sticky Albuquerque air whispered over her skin and the warm sunshine warm her blood she smiled, sighing luxuriously.

'Wow… this is nice,' she sighed, wandering out further along the roof towards the railing.

She tipped her head back, allowing the sun to beat down onto her upturned face and hummed contentedly.

Troy however paced, to and fro along the length of the roof, his curled fingers clawing at his hair and face with anxiety. He was leaving. He was leaving. He was leaving tonight. How could he…

'Hey,' Gabriella called, 'Come here,'

She patted the railing beside her and Troy lumbered to her side. For a moment, they both stared over daytime Albuquerque, and Gabriella nudged him gently with a shoulder.

'Are you okay? You seem… stressed,'

'I'm leaving Gabi!' he cried, his panic soaring, 'I'm leaving, you're not out of hospital and now… they're all going to hate me forever! I only just got everyone back!'

'They're not going to hate you,' Gabriella sighed, 'They'll understand, they'll come around eventually.'

It was just like Gabriella. He knew she was upset, her eyes told him everything he needed to know, but despite that she remained calm and rational, comforting him in the best way possible.

'My boss… he… I don't have a choice to go.'

Gabriella patted his arm gently, 'It's _ok,'_

'No! It's not! Because it came down to… either I go to LA tonight on the next plane or… or he sends the paparazzi down here to make their story,'

Gabriella was silent for a moment, 'Oh…'

'Yeah,' he sighed morosely.

'So you're…'

'So I'm going to LA,' he finished, 'Tonight. I… they're never going to forgive me!'

'They will, I'll explain it to them, they'll understand,'

'Are you sure?'

'Troy, by leaving, you're protecting us. How could we not understand?'

Troy nodded slowly, still unconvinced, 'But…'

'But nothing. They're nothing if they're not loyal. They're still friends of yours and they will understand,'

With that, Gabriella wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head against his shoulder. Instinctively he reciprocated, curling his own arms around her tiny frame. The world continued to move on, full of nameless faceless people and by tonight he would be another one. Despite her warm embrace he would be out of their lives, leading his own and the prospect seemed so bleak. His day no longer glowed with possibilities. For both of them, they felt as if they had finally found the first solid ground in five years only to have it ripped from underneath them. They were being forced to relinquish the safety blanket and now the future seemed unsure.

* * *

'Oh, Troy… baby, I can't believe you're leaving again,' his mother sighed as she watched her only son dart around the room, throwing belongings into his bags.

'I don't wanna leave mom,' he murmured, 'I wanna stay here in Albuquerque, I wanna… I just don't want to go to LA,'

His mother looked positively distraught at the possibility of not seeing her son for another five years and her bottom lip trembled. Instead of crying however, she snatched the polo shirt out of Troy's hands and began to fold it.

'You're doing it all wrong,' she said fussily, as a guise for her tears, 'How on earth you ever survive without me…'

'You know I don't mama,' he replied, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

'Do you have time for lunch with us before you leave?'

It wasn't as if he had neglected his mother while he'd been in Albuquerque. Due to Gabriella's insistence, he had spent many days with his parents, entertaining them, eating with them, spending the long overdue time with them. But now…

'Yeah… I can,' he replied.

'Give me that,' she insisted, happy she'd gotten her way. She tugged on his suitcase and resumed packing herself.

'Go back up to the hospital and spend some time with all your friends before you leave. Once I'm doing with the packing your father and I will come up and we'll have lunch in the cafeteria or something,'

'Really?'

'Sure baby. You're not doing much as it is right now. You may as well be having fun,'

Troy nodded slowly, ensuring that his mother was content with the arrangement, 'Ok… then I'll see you in a couple of hours,'

'Bye baby,'

With that Troy turned and bounded out of the room. A few more hours spent reconciling with the friends he really wanted to have, a few more hours by Gabriella's side. He'd take as much as he could.

* * *

As Troy sped back to the hospital he considered the state of his life. He was leaving behind… so much in so little time. It seemed so hurried, one moment he was happy the next he was he was packing his bags and facing the prospect of going back to LA. It wasn't supposed to happen this way!

Before Troy knew it, he had parked the car and was in the elevator on the way to Gabriella's room. By now the nurses all knew him by name and as he raced toward her room, they all greeted him cheerfully.

As he darted into her room, he realized that he was not alone. Everyone else was gathered around Gabriella, who was sitting up, surveying her friends balefully.

Troy's stomach lurched as he stepped into the centre of them all, waiting for the betrayed, wounded eyes to start.

Instead…

'Look… man… we're sorry,' Chad began quietly.

Troy's head whipped around. Not what he'd been expected.

'Yeah,' Zeke chimed, 'It was just a lot to take in. We thought you'd be around for longer than this…'

'So did I,' Troy replied hoarsely.

'We're just a little shaken that's all,' Sharpay offered, 'We'd just gotten used to having you around again,'

'It had just begun to feel like normal,' Taylor added.

'But… we're not angry,' Ryan soothed.

'Not anymore,' Kelsi chimed.

Troy shot a glance at Gabriella who smiled sagely back at him. She had explained and as she had predicted they had forgiven him. They appreciated what he was doing.

'Thanks guys,' he sighed, 'That… that means a lot to me,'

'What are you doing here?' Gabriella asked, 'I thought you had to go home and pack. What about your mom?'

'Mom's packing, they're going to come up here for lunch,'

Gabriella nodded thoughtfully, 'So… how long do we have left with you?'

He glanced at his watch, pulling a face, 'A couple of hours?'

She hoisted a perky smile onto her face that was painfully transparent, 'Ok… well, let's make the most of it!'

The group settled, back into their posts, allowing Troy to take up his place on Gabriella's bed.

'Ok… so…' he began.

'Let's talk,' Gabriella suggested, shrugging helplessly, 'About _anything_,'

The group all exchanged hesitant, awkward looks and Troy felt his heart sink. This was how it was going to be. He'd spent five years out of their lives and four weeks back in it. It had become comfortable, but the second he left it would go back to how it was. No one would know what to say.

'So… when does training start?'

Chad was the first out of the group to initiate hesitant, tentative conversation, even if it was about basketball. It gave Troy the opportunity to fill the void of silence that separated them all. Basketball was their common ground no matter how they had grown apart and before long, there was an in-depth conversation beginning to form. The girls tuned out as they used to, turning to their own discussion of nail polish and makeup, but before they disappeared, Troy caught Gabriella's half-smile, full of nostalgia and bittersweet resentment. They hadn't said goodbye yet, and still it felt so final. It felt like the end.

* * *

His parents didn't show up for another two hours. Somehow in amongst that time they had all seemingly forgotten that Troy was leaving and the had split into their groups which had begun to feel normal. Kelsi lay across two chairs, her bare feet in Ryan's lap as they discussed something about musicals in soft, hushed voices. Gabriella leant up against Troy comfortably, chattering at high speeds to Taylor and occasionally Sharpay who was perched on Zeke's lap. Zeke contributed to the "masculine" conversations with Troy and Chad, adding vague commentary about basketball, despite the fact that out of their original team, he was the only remaining Wildcat who wasn't playing basketball. They were all far to engrossed with their own conversations to notice the shining face peeking around the door frame.

Suddenly Gabriella jolted upright and Troy whipped around to help whatever was about to happen.

'Mrs Bolton?' she squeaked, her voice high and thin with surprise.

'Oh… Gabriella, darling,'

Troy's eyes widened, freezing at Gabriella's side. He'd _forgotten _to meet them. Of course they would have packed by now, he hadn't expected them to come up here.

'Gabriella?'

Another voice, deep and booming this time joined the conversation. This time Zeke and Chad's eyes lit up, and they grinned.

'Coach?'

'Coach?' the same deep voice echoed.

Jack's appeared in the doorframe beside his wife, surveying its inhabitants curiously.

'Hey boys,' he grinned widely, 'Didn't expect to see you here,'

'Us neither Coach!' Chad laughed, 'It's awesome to see you,'

Lucille shook her head woefully, her eyes glistening, 'Oh… Chad, darling. You look so grown up. It's been years since I've seen you,'

'Sorry Mrs B. Been busy!'

'I can imagine. Knicks? Oh… they're not working you too hard are they?'

He grinned, 'No Mrs B, it's great,'

Jack transferred his attention back onto Gabriella, 'You look good. How are you feeling?'

Gabriella beamed back, adjusting the short brunette wig adorning her head, 'Better,' she replied positively, 'The doctor says I'm doing well for a brain trauma,'

'Oh, that's good,' Lucille replied, 'You _do _look good,'

'Thankyou,' Gabriella inclined her head graciously.

There was a beat in which Troy's parents surveyed everyone. Troy realized that many of his friends had been like their children, many of which they may not have even seen since their graduation.

Gabriella sighed softly, breaking the silence, 'I suppose you wanna take Troy from us?'

'Uh…' Lucille began, guilt creeping over her features, 'I… I did, but…'

'No, it's ok,' Gabriella replied, waving an airy hand, 'Really…'

'Um, Gabs, we were going to go get lunch as well,' Chad said uncomfortably, shoving his hands in his pockets, 'Me, Tay and Zeke,'

Sharpay sat up indignantly, 'Well… I'm not staying here without Zeke,'

Gabriella frowned at her friends, 'I don't need babysitting. Honestly. Ryan and Kels should go too'

Kelsi rubbed her stomach guiltily, 'I didn't' realize it was that loud…'

'Kelsi, you're eating for two. Seriously, when you're hungry, eat. Brain trauma or _no _brain trauma,'

'Eating for two?' Lucille queried her eyes excited.

Kelsi smiled back, glowing in a way only a pregnant woman could, 'Yes, I am.'

'Oh congratulations!' she cried, clapping her hands together, 'That's so exciting!'

'I think so,' Ryan chimed.

'Ok, well… go!' Gabriella shooed them all, 'Go get lunch!'

The rest of the group began to gather their belongings and head towards the door. Troy glanced back at Gabriella, who still had that same look of finality in her eyes. She didn't look upset, rather resigned to reality, already having come to terms with the fact that he was leaving. She was… ok with it. And he wasn't okay with _that._

'Um, I'll just hang around for a sec. I'll catch up with you all in the cafeteria?' he questioned.

No one queried him, just continued to filter out of the room until they were left alone. Under the pretence of looking busy, Troy fiddled with the blankets at the feet of Gabriella's bed.

'What's up?' Gabriella asked quietly.

Even as she asked him a simple question like that, all Troy could here was a goodbye. Her sealing him out of her life again, healing the wounds that he had created before he had had a chance to help her heal. Panic rose in his throat and it took all his might not to fall to pieces.

_I don't want to say goodbye. I want to know you. I want… everything._

Instead he shoved his hands in his pockets to hide their trembling and look her squarely in the eye.

'Gabs… me leaving, what does that mean for us?'

For a long second, Gabriella's mocha eyes glassed over and she was lost to the world that he didn't understand. Then they cleared up and widened.

'What?'

'Come on Gabs,' he sighed, still trying to slow the nervous jittering, 'If I get on that plane tonight, are we ever going to see each other again?'

Gabriella looked nauseous, tell-tale panic rising in her eyes, 'Troy… the country's only so big. We're bound to run into one another _sometime_,'

'Gabi, you know what I mean,' he groaned, exasperated, 'Are we going to stay in contact? Are we going to be friends? Are we…'

'Troy!' she shrieked quietly, her frame rigid with terror, 'What are you saying? I don't know… how can I know! We barely know each other… we're… you're my _ex-fiancé_. I don't know!'

'Gabriella, you have to know!' he insisted, 'If I leave this room now, we'll never know what could be…'

'What _could_ be Troy? Really, what could happen between a bald, law student freak and the Lakers superstar? We live on _opposite sides of the country_!'

'So!' he demanded, his temper heating up. All he wanted were straight answers.

'So, the likelihood of you and I ever crossing paths again, let alone still being friends is so slim that…'

'This isn't about geography!' he yelled, 'This is about you! You don't know how you feel and you don't want to know how you feel! You're shutting me down, you're saying goodbye before I've already left, because you know that if you open yourself up, you'll feel sad, and you'll be in pain! You're saying goodbye because you don't want to know how you feel!'

The words left his mouth like a bullet from a gun. They exploded with fiery rage and once it was out, there was no taking back the damage that they had done.

In the silence after the shot, Gabriella's eyes cooled and her jaw set. She pursed her lips and surveyed him with icy distaste.

'_I_ don't know how I feel? Well, Troy, how about you tell me how you feel? What do you feel about me? Prove Sharpay wrong, _please _do,'

Troy stood helpless for a moment as her words sliced through him. Her eyes were defiant, daring him to reveal how he felt about her. _Tell me, tell me, tell me_.

'I… I don't know,' he stammered.

The triumphant look the fleeted across her face was crippling to him. Neither of them dared to allow themselves to stop. If they let down the barriers and actually felt what they needed to…

Troy knew he wouldn't be able to leave this room.

'We missed our chance Troy!' she cried tearfully, 'The second that you walked out of the door like the coward that you are, we missed our chance. And god, to think that we could do _anything _else is fighting fate. And… after all this… you think that I would want to take another chance!'

He squared his shoulders, fury pulsing steadily through his veins. If she refused...

'Fine,' he hissed, 'Have a nice life Gabriella. It was nice knowing you,'

'That's more than what I got last time,' she seethed.

Troy had to keep walking despite the searing pain that threatened to destroy him at her words. They were so cruel, so sharp and… so true.

He stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. It was done.

* * *

It took him another ten minutes before he was ready to face his family. He paced back and forth through the halls, tearing at his hair anxiously, his mind replaying what had just happened blow by blow. All he saw was her face hurt and rebuilding the walls that he had made her create in the first place. She was protecting herself, she couldn't allow him to hurt her again.

Eventually he had calmed down enough to make his way to the cafeteria. He owed his parents that much. He found his parents sitting at a table surrounded by all his friends, laughing and joking. The Coach was conversing enthusiastically with his old team and his mother was gushing about babies to Kelsi and the other girls. When her eyes lighted on him, she smiled and opened up her arms.

'Baby!'

Troy hurried to arrange his features into something that looked a little like a smile.

'Hey Mama, sorry I'm late.'

'You're not late,' she insisted, 'We haven't gotten anything to eat yet,'

'Yeah, I just needed to talk to Gabi about something,' he murmured numbly.

His mother didn't seem to hear his tone and instead launched into a discussion of his choices for lunch.

Somehow he managed to survive the whole meal, adding to the conversation vaguely and only when prompted. He picked at his sandwich disinterestedly and considered what the next few hours would bring. His suitcase, a plane, _the _goodbye. He'd have to say goodbye to them all with the knowledge that they probably _would _never see each other again. They'd said all they'd needed to say, felt all they needed to feel. They had closure. Why would they ever need to see him again?

He looked around him, where Sharpay and Zeke were playfully canoodling, exchanging kisses in between giggles. Troy recognized those moments, the stage in the relationship when there was nothing else to do but kiss and it made his heart ache. He wondered if he would get an invitation to their wedding that would happen inevitably in a few years time? And what about Taylor and Chad's or would he expect to see a tabloid report sometime in December instead? Even if he wasn't there, would they think of him? Would Chad think of the spot beside him that Ryan would most likely fill that used to belong to Troy? Would they remember the friend they used to have?

Lost in thought, he was startled at his mother nudged him gently.

'Troy, honey,' she murmured, 'You should go up and say goodbye to everyone… you have to get to the airport,'

For a second his heart stopped, and his stomach dropped painfully. Goodbye. Leaving. Now.

All day it hadn't felt like a reality. It couldn't be real, it just… couldn't. He'd worked to hard to be in their lives again.

'O-ok,' he said shakily, getting to his feet, 'I guess…'

He stumbled his way along the halls for the last time, feeling like he was walking to his own execution. His feet dragged, his heart was heavy. He didn't want to be doing this.

Four weeks ago this place had been his personal circle of hell, the reason for his suffering and misery. Now… now the nurses knew him by name, and he had regained the life that used to be his.

'I'll wait out here while you say goodbye to your friends,' Lucille said softly, touching his arm, 'Take your time,'

'Thanks Mom,'

His hands shook as he slid open the door to Gabriella's room. This was it.

As he stepped in, the room was silent. Everyone surveyed him balefully, their eyes wide, body language nothing but cautious.

He summoned the strength to talk through his thick throat, fighting the onset of emotions that threatened to topple him.

'Uh… I… I have to leave… if I want to catch my plane,' he stated thickly.

There was a murmur that ran through the group but silence still reigned. Chad was the first to nod slowly, 'Ok man,'

Troy took one hesitant step forward, toward Taylor who was closest to him. Unsure of what to do, he hovered awkwardly before her. It was Taylor who made the first move, opening her arms to wrap them around him.

'Bye Troy,' she whispered, 'We couldn't… we couldn't have done it without you,'

He was surprised at how fast his eyes began to sting. He couldn't… he couldn't cry. It just wasn't allowed.

'Thanks,'

She released quickly, stepping aside to allow the next person in line. Ryan smiled fondly, extending his hand, 'It was great to see you again, try to keep in contact,'

'I'll send a card for the baby,' Troy promised.

Ryan joined Taylor on the other side of the room, allowing Zeke to take his place. Without hesitation, Zeke slapped his shoulder boyishly, 'Later man!' he crowed.

'I hope so…'

Sharpay was next, still wide-eyed and stiff. Troy pulled her into his arms, stooping to rest his chin against her shoulder. The first of them to know he was in town, the first of them to encourage Gabriella to see him, the first of them to befriend him and help him.

Immediately Sharpay responded, curling her own arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

'Thanks Shar,' he murmured, 'You… are amazing. They're so lucky to have you and you're going to make Zeke a very happy man someday. I'm gonna miss you'

Sharpay shuddered in his arms, but when she pulled away, her eyes were dry, 'Me too,'

She pressed a kiss to his cheek fondly and stepped away. That left two…

Troy knew that these last two would be the hardest. But he'd never expected it to be this hard.

Chad cleared his throat, looking Troy up and down.

'So uh… Later, dude?'

His attempt at mimicking Zeke's jovial farewell fell flat and Troy could tell that Chad was just as confused and hurt by this as he was.

'I'll… I'll see you on the court,' Troy tried weakly, 'We'll whip your asses,'

'I'll take that as a challenge,'

The two men stared at each other for another long moment. Childhood brothers; that never went away. No matter what had passed between them, they'd always be the two kids playing basketball and fighting cooties.

Troy and Chad embraced tightly and for once it didn't feel like goodbye. Chad was… different.

'See ya on the court,' Chad echoed.

That left one.

Troy turned to Gabriella, propped up in her bed, her eyes cautious and wary. She hadn't forgotten about their argument and it didn't seem like she would any time soon. That wasn't how he wanted to leave things, and if this truly was the last time he'd see her, this wasn't how he wanted her to remember him.

He leant down, and pulled her frail body into his arms. For the moments that he clung to her, he tried to memorize everything, clinging to the memories hat would help him through the empty nights. He clung to her smell; light and clean of soap and deodorant. Her feel; silken skin, the hard ridges of her bones beneath it. Her sight; breathtaking beautiful and fragile.

He didn't want to let go. He _couldn't _let go. As soon as this ended, it would truly, _finally _be the end of them. He wasn't ready for that.

'You're going to be late for you plane,' she whispered, her voice choked and harsh.

'I don't care,'

'You should,' she replied, her voice trembling, 'You have to go,'

Slowly, excruciatingly painfully, her fingers slipped from their grip around his neck until she had extricated herself from his embrace.

Troy struggled against the urge to collapse into a heap and sob. He couldn't do that right now.

Instead he bowed his head, pressing his forehead against hers tightly.

'Maybe… maybe we _did _miss our chance,' he whispered, his throat thick and constricted.

Gabriella nodded against him, tears lacing her voice, 'It's just not fair is it?'

He had to leave. It was his reality and she had already succumb to that. Now it was his turn.

Heaving a deep breath with a screaming heart, he stood up, straightening his clothes.

How did he put on this brave face when all he wanted to do was cry?

'Ok everyone!' he announced, failing miserably at his attempt to be chipper, 'I'll be seeing you I guess!'

Shoulders back, head up, he walked out of the room, fighting with his tumultuous emotions. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. _No! No! No!_

He closed the door behind him, sealing himself out. Sealing himself out of the room, sealing himself out of their lives, sealing himself out of the future that could have been.

* * *

His mother looked tearful as she watched him.

'Are you ready?'

_NO!_ 'Yes,'

'Do you have everything? Where's your ticket?'

Troy's mother fussed after he'd checked his bags. She preened over him, straightening his clothes, fiddling with his hair, doing anything to hide the fact that she was close to tears.

Troy stood there and let her do it all. He had no energy left, no… nothing. He was just empty. They were all gone and he was back at square one. Alone.

'Please don't wait another five years to see me,' his mother begged, 'I love you,'

For the first time since arriving at the airport he responded, allowing his mother to hug him.

'I love you too Mama. Maybe you should come visit me for Christmas,'

Lucille finally burst into tears, squeezing him tighter, 'I'd like that Troy,'

'Lucy, let the boy go. He has to go home,'

Troy turned to his father. _I am home!_

'Bye dad…'

'Bye son…'

Troy leant in for an embrace with his father, and was surprised to hear his father's voice so coarse and harsh close to his ear.

'You're going to fix this right? You're going to make this all better with… all of them. This isn't how the story ends,'

Not for the first time Troy's throat thickened and he struggled to swallow. Instead he shrugged helplessly.

'I don't know anymore,'

His father stepped away, nodding sombrely, 'Ok then…'

'You're about to board baby,' his mother sniffled.

Troy pulled his mother into one last tight hug, one to last him the whole trip home.

'I love you Mama. I'll see you soon,'

With that, he shouldered his carry-on bag and blew a final kiss at his mother. Hs raised a hand in farewell and began to walk to the escalator.

As the stairs carried him down to the boarding lounge, he watched his parent's faces shrink until they weren't there at all.

As soon as he was seated on the plane, he pressed his face up against the glass window, watching the place that would _always_ be his home. The soft dusk sun setting over the city was bittersweet. An ending of a day, an ending of an era in his life. It was… the end.

'We're about to start takeoff,' a cool voice interrupted.

Within minutes Albuquerque was shrinking beneath him. The city of his childhood, the city of his youth, the city of his love. He watched the ground until it grew to be nothing but a distant speck through the clouds. He was gone.

It was then he let the tears fall.

* * *

As soon as Troy had left Sharpay burst into tears. She turned into Zeke, burying her face into his chest miserably. She shook with sobs and Zeke stood on helpless, rubbing her back meagrely.

'Shar…' he tried.

'I…' she sobbed, 'I really didn't think he'd leave again,'

The group fell silent except for her cries, and they knew they had all been thinking the same thing.

Gabriella was the first to vocalize it, shaking her head, 'Me neither,'

* * *

"_I see your face in my mind as I drive away, 'cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way."  
- __Taylor Swift_


	22. The Life Supposed To Be

'Do you think she's fine?' Sharpay whispered to Taylor curiously. They were watching Gabriella sign discharge papers at the nurse's station. Her bags were already packed, sitting at the door of her room. A bunch of flowers fresh from her mothers were on the counter beside her but she paid them little notice as she repeatedly scrawled her signature.

Taylor shrugged, pulling a face, 'I don't know… she says that she's fine,'

'She doesn't look fine to me,' Zeke added conversationally.

'Nah, she doesn't does she?' Chad agreed, 'She looks… weird,'

Ryan tutted, 'Of course she's not fine. I mean… would you be fine if that happened to you?'

'ENOUGH!'

The group looked up guilty at the sound of Gabriella's voice. She had turned away from the counter and was surveying them, annoyance tinging her features.

'I can hear you, you know. I say I'm fine, so evidently, _I'm fine_.'

'Gabi… honey, you just…'

'I just nothing. Life's back to the way it was. There's no Troy.'

'But honey…'

'But nothing! Troy's gone back to his home and it's time that I went back to mine,'

Gabriella signed her name for the last time, ending the Z with extra flourish. She then handed the files over and headed back to her bags. Before she could even lay a finger on them Chad and Zeke were there, holding them.

She rolled her eyes, 'I'm _fine_,'

'So… are you sure you want to go?' Taylor asked tentatively.

'Of course I want to go. I'm so sick of this place. We just have to wait for Dr Meyers and then we're good to go.'

'Ok,' Taylor said warily, 'Well… we'll just wait then,'

Gabriella perched herself jauntily on the plastic chair in the waiting room. It was so hard to believe that six weeks before they had been sitting in those same chairs praying and waiting for her. And here she was…

'Gabriella! Just came to see you off!'

Dr Meyers appeared in the waiting room presenting the same image that they had become part of their lives. The same tousled salt-and-pepper hair, clipboard in hand, white lab coat swung open. It had become a sight as commonplace as the sky.

'Thanks Dr Meyer,' Gabriella replied sweetly, crossing her legs, 'It'll be great to get out of here,'

'So you're headed back to New York? You're not going to stay in Albuquerque with your mom?'

Gabriella shook her head, throwing a glance at Taylor, 'No… uh, my friends would rather that I stay with my mother… they think I'll be better off here closer to the hospital, just in case but… I'm a law student. I don't have time anymore, I need to get back to school… besides my mother works. I belong in New York.'

'Will you have someone to take care of you?' he questioned gently.

Gabriella screwed her face up at him, 'I don't _need _taking care of,'

'Just in case,' he tried tactfully, 'In case anything goes wrong,'

'Chad and I live two blocks away from her,' Taylor jumped in, 'We'll keep an eye on her,'

The doctor scribbled something down on his clipboard and nodded, 'That's okay then. That's all I needed to tell you.'

'So I can leave?' Gabriella asked, clearly enthused.

'Yes,' Dr Meyer laughed, 'You certainly can,'

A nurse appeared pushing along a wheelchair and Gabriella rolled her eyes, 'Hospital protocol right? Can't go anywhere without it?'

'Nope,' the doctor replied jovially.

Grumbling Gabriella clambered into the wheelchair and Chad placed her overnight bag on her lap.

'Ok, off we go!' he announced.

Chad began to lean his weight on the chair, setting the wheels in motion. As they slowly trundled away, the doctor waved after them.

'Bye Gabriella!'

Gabriella turned in her chair to wave back at him. Another chapter in her life, another life that had been integral to hers. She wasn't going to miss it.

Taylor walked in step with the wheelchair, holding Gabriella's hand.

'You ready to go home?'

'You have _no _idea.'

As the car pulled to a halt outside Gabriella's mother's house, Gabriella sighed, leaning back in her seat.

'I don't think I've ever been so happy to see this place,' she laughed.

Chad leapt out of the car from his seat beside Gabriella, watching her cautiously as she slid out of the car.

'Chad,' she warned, 'I'm _fine_. Emotionally and physically. Stop hovering.'

'I'm just concerned Gabi,'

'Be concerned later,'

She trotted up to the front door which was flung open before she'd even reached it.

'Mija!' her mother cried, throwing her arms around her, 'You're going home!'

'I gotta Mami,' Gabriella replied sweetly, 'You know that,'

'That doesn't make it any better,'

'I've just got to pick up the last of my things,' Gabriella informed her mother, 'In the guest room,'

'Of course, I'll go up and help you pack!'

For the first time Gabriella's mother looked past her own daughter. She looked mildly surprised to see the rest of the Wildcat gang there, but waved them into her house nevertheless.

'Come in, come in!' she insisted, 'Make yourselves comfortable,'

Obediently, Sharpay led the way into the house just as Gabriella and her mother disappeared up the stairs.

'We'll be in the lounge room!' Sharpay offered.

The group meandered through the spotless house to the lounge room where Chad collapsed onto the couches.

'Big day,' he groaned, 'Today is a big day,'

'Get up,' Taylor sniped, slapping his arm lightly, 'You can sleep on the plane,'

Chad opened up his eyes again blearily and blinked, 'Ok…'

For a moment the entire Wildcat gang were silent, sitting in Gabriella's living room. It had been two weeks since Troy had left and still every time they were all together it felt like there was something missing. Nobody knew what to say.

'Can I…' Sharpay uttered quietly, 'Uh… no, don't worry,'

She had caught the attention of everyone in the room who were grateful for the gap in the silence.

'Tell us,' Zeke urged, squeezing her waist, 'Come on…'

Sharpay sighed heavily, leaning against her boyfriend, 'I dunno…'

'We wanna hear it,'

'Ok,' she said hesitantly, 'But it's going to sound really stupid and naïve… but,'

Taylor leant forward, looking incredibly interested, 'What?'

Sharpay raked her blonde mane off her forehead, 'When Troy came back… everything was… _good._ We were a group again, we were friends, it felt like high school. I just thought, since he came back, that… for once everything was going to be okay. I thought that… that they were going to get back together, magically like they always used to, and it would be like old times, that we would _all _be like old times. But… I guess that was wishful thinking,'

Kelsi nodded sadly, 'I thought… when he told us he was leaving, I thought he was going to pull another one of those stunts. I thought there was going to be a grand gesture and… I thought they were going to live happily ever after,'

Ryan wrapped an arm around Kelsi, who was growing teary eyed, 'It's okay,' he murmured, 'I think part of us all thought that,'

'Shoot!' came Anne Montez's voice from upstairs, 'I gotta get to work!'

If they could have seen Gabriella, they knew she would be rolling her eyes, gritting her teeth.

'That's ok Mami, I have a plane to catch anyway,'

There was the thundering of footsteps above their heads and the low murmur of voices as the mother and daughter pair exchanged private goodbyes. It wasn't like Anne or Gabriella to be overly emotional about this, they were two people so used to goodbyes that when it came to bid farewell to one another it wasn't a great deal.

'Maybe I'll see you for Thanksgiving,' Gabriella offered, her voice muffled through the floorboards.

'I hope so,'

There was more movement on the ceiling above them, and then they could heard on the stairs.

'Do you have everything?'

'I think so,'

The pair appeared at the foot of the stairs, Gabriella pulling her suitcase along behind her. Immediately Ryan leapt up to reprieve her of the bag and she rolled her eyes again, smiling nevertheless.

'Thanks Ry,'

'I'm going to work,' Anne announced to the rest of the group, unaware of their eavesdropping abilities, 'So… I'll say goodbye to you all now!'

The group stood, forming a line in order for Ms Montez to press a kiss to all their cheeks. When she reached Taylor, she hugged her tightly, hovering closer to her ear.

'Take care of my baby won't you? She's dreadfully stubborn,'

'I will,' Taylor vowed, 'Well… I'll try,'

Gabriella nudged her mother, '_Mami_,'

The two women murmured quickly in Spanish, before embracing one another briefly. Gabriella turned back to her friends, 'Ok, let's go,'

With Gabriella's blessing, the rest of the group moved out of the house, followed closely by Gabriella and her mother, arm in arm.

As the group piled into Zeke's SUV, Gabriella kissed her mother's cheek, 'I'll call you when I get home,'

'I'd like that,'

Zeke started up the engine and Gabriella leapt lithely in the back of the car. Anne stood on the sidewalk, waving at her daughter and her friends as they slid out of the street.

As soon as Anne's figure had disappeared in the rearview mirror Taylor twisted around in her seat to look at Gabriella.

'You ok sweetie?' she asked.

Gabriella smiled sadly, 'Yeah… I just need to get out of Albuquerque. It's time to go home,'

As Taylor turned back around to face the front, Gabriella slunk down in her seat, murmuring quietly to herself, '_Wherever that is…_'

* * *

Within half an hour they were at the airport. Ryan helped unload all of Gabriella's luggage, refusing to let her lay a finger on it. Chad and Taylor assembled their luggage and they made the trek from the parking lot to the airport.

As they approached the building they were all silent. The only sound was the clacking of their suitcase's wheels on the pavement. There was a sad, distant chill that separated and saddened them all. It was unsettling and Sharpay instinctively reached for Zeke's hand, their fingers lacing together.

After Chad, Taylor and Gabriella had checked their bags they all grouped together. Subconsciously they formed the circle that they all belonged in. Zeke and Sharpay with their hands still locked, Ryan and Kelsi cuddled together beside them, Chad and Taylor with their arms slung around one another and Gabriella, with her arms wrapped around herself self-consciously. For the first time in five years they were honestly aware of the gap that he had made. Between Chad and Gabriella there was a gap, and no matter it's size it was made monstrous by his absence. He should have been there.

'So… uh… I guess this is goodbye,' Ryan said slowly.

This goodbye was becoming commonplace. The circle, the hugs and the knowledge that they would feel a little empty for the long months without them.

'Yeah… I guess,' Sharpay echoed.

The hardest part was not knowing when they would all be together again soon. The Wildcat seven, all together. The hardest part was knowing that in the months that they were all apart they were going to miss the little things. They were going to miss Sharpay and Zeke falling in love, they were going to miss Kelsi changing and growing, Ryan truly becoming a dad; they were going to miss a lot.

But they had to leave, they all had jobs and lives scattered across the country. All good things had to come to an end.

'Ok,' Gabriella sighed, 'Come here, give me a hug,'

Sharpay was the first to break the circle, skittering across the centre and into Gabriella.

'Oh sweetie, we'll have to start up our Sunday morning calls again,' she murmured as she threw her arms around her friend.

'We will,' Gabriella promised, 'We'll talk for hours and hours,'

Sharpay flourished her hug with a tight squeeze of Gabriella's shoulders, 'No more car crashes ok? Not while I'm not with you!'

'I'll try,' she laughed weakly.

Sharpay then released Gabriella and moved into Taylor's arms. Zeke took his girlfriend's place and lifted Gabriella off her feet in a crushing bear hug.

'Take care of yourself ok? I'll see you at the wedding,'

'I'm already looking forward to your cake,'

Gabriella was then passed into Ryan's arms, who hugged her fondly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, 'I expect an email as soon as you get home,'

'Ok, just promise me you'll take care of Kels. Do whatever she asks you to do, she's carrying your baby,'

Ryan grinned broadly, pride and adoration evident on his face, 'You know I'll do that,'

Ryan stepped away and Kelsi threw herself at Gabriella, wrapping her tiny arms around Gabriella.

'Oh, do you have to leave?'

'Yeah… I gotta go home. And so do you!'

'I'm pregnant Gabs!' she squealed.

'You're gonna be _so _fat the next time I see you!' Gabriella giggled.

'I'm so excited!'

'Sorry Kels… we have to get going,' Taylor's voice interrupted.

Kelsi lifted her head from Gabriella's shoulder and smiled tearfully, 'Ok, I should let you guys go,'

Gabriella hefted her carry-on bag onto her shoulder despite howls of protest from the rest of the group.

'What am I going to do tonight when the cab drops me off at my apartment? Who's going to carry my bags then?'

The group exchanged uneasy looks; the thought of leaving Gabriella alone so soon after they'd almost lost her was unsettling, but what choice did they have?

Ryan shook his head seriously, 'Come on Gabs, I… I can't let you get on the plane if you don't promise you'll take it easy,'

Gabriella folded her arms across her body, 'I'll do what I want Ry,' she insisted.

'Gabriella,' he threatened warningly, 'You're only six weeks out of brain surgery. You're going to take it easy and not try and do more than the doctor recommended right?'

Gabriella opened her mouth to protest but Taylor stepped in front, her lips pursed matronly.

'_I'll _make sure she doesn't do anything she's not supposed to,'

'I'm still not staying with you,'

As soon as the doctor announced that Gabriella would be able to go home Taylor begged her to stay in Albuquerque with my mother. When Gabriella refused however, Taylor wasn't surprised. Albuquerque was Troy's city, it always would be. Instead she tried changing tacts, asking her to stay at Taylor and Chad's apartment when they got back to New York, rather than live alone without care. It was no surprise when Gabriella refused vehemently, stating that she was fine and she didn't need babying. Nothing Taylor said would change her mind.

'Boarding Flight SQ3871 to New York,' a cool voice announced over the loud speakers.

'Oh, that's our cue,' Chad said, shouldering his own bag, lacing his fingers with Taylor's.

There was a flurry of final goodbyes, brief hugs, kisses on cheeks before Chad, Taylor and Gabriella made their way toward the escalators. As they walked away, Sharpay yelled and catcalled out after them. Gabriella turned, a blew a kiss at her. Sharpay squealed and clapped her hands together as the onlookers laughed.

Gabriella continued to giggle until Sharpay's figure had disappeared above the railing. She hated that they had to be apart, and really did cherish the moments they got together.

Taylor's hands snaked around hers and she squeezed it fondly, 'We're going home Gabi,'

'Yeah… I guess we are,'

* * *

It was dark when they landed in New York again. Gabriella sat in the cab, watching the lights of Manhattan as their cab inched through the traffic. Taylor and Chad were curled into one another, murmuring softly, their hands held tightly. Gabriella pressed against the grimy glass window; if she was finally home then why did she feel so empty?

When they pulled up at her apartment, Gabriella was grateful to get out of the car. Taylor and Chad's adoration was stifling her and she needed to breath. Something didn't feel right…

She scrambled out onto the sidewalk in front of her building and hurried to retrieve her luggage. Taylor looked as if she was about to get out of the car but Gabriella was quick to quell the idea.

'I'm exhausted. Big day,' she said hurriedly, 'Gotta go to bed,'

'Are you sure sweetie?'

Gabriella faked a yawn, 'Sure thing. I'll be no company tonight,'

Taylor looked at her fiancé, who was snoring lightly at her side. He was beat, and Taylor didn't want to inconvenience him.

She glanced back at Gabriella who for good measure pretended to yawn again. That convinced her and she nodded unhappily, 'Okay, then we'll see you in the morning sweetie,'

There was no getting around that, 'Ok… see you then,' Gabriella replied grudgingly.

She slammed the cab door shut and the taxi slid away from the curb. When they were gone Gabriella sighed and began to journey up into the building.

As she rode the elevator, Gabriella leant against the wall wearily, raking a hand through the fake brunette strands adorning the top of her head. She just needed to…

She needed something other than this.

The elevator doors slid open with a metallic _ding _and Gabriella scrambled into the hall to reach her apartment. She fumbled with the lock before pushing the door open.

Struggling with all her luggage, it clunking and clanging along behind her, Gabriella stepped into her dark apartment. Everything was silent and dark but it smelt like old Gabriella. In the six weeks she'd been away from home, three times longer than she'd planned to stay, her whole world had changed. The girl who had left this apartment wasn't the girl who was returning to it and she wasn't sure whether or not that saddened her.

She flicked on the light switch near her shoulder, shedding the entire apartment with a soft, golden light. Everything was the way that old Gabriella would have liked and new Gabriella wasn't sure how she felt about anything anymore.

Suddenly there was a soft hesitant, _Miaow? f_ollowed by a the dainty tinkle of a bell. For the first time since _he _had left, Gabriella smiled.

'Oh, Miles,' she sighed, crouching down.

As soon as he had caught sight of her, her cat bounded lithely across the room to her. He rubbed himself against her outstretched palm, allowing her to scratch behind his ears. He purred fondly, and paraded himself in front of her.

'I'm sorry baby,' she whispered, 'Did Mrs Oppenheimer take good care of you while I was gone? I won't ever leave again,'

Miles seemed content with her affection and followed her pertly as she lugged her luggage toward her bedroom. He continued to miaow at her as she did so.

Barely taking the time to kick off her shoes and jeans, Gabriella fell onto her bed. She wasn't tired, she wasn't sleepy, she was… drained. Her brain was sluggish and her heart felt useless from all the overtime it had been doing. She was just… empty.

Miles leapt up onto the bed beside her with grace that only a feline could have. He curled into her side and Gabriella scratched his ears absently.

'I don't know what's what anymore Miles,' she said aloud, 'I don't know how I feel, what I want. I'm so confused,'

'Miaow,' was the only advice that he could offer her.

That night Gabriella didn't sleep at all, instead she stared blankly at the ceiling. Her mind wouldn't stop racing, her heart wouldn't stop aching. Wasn't she supposed to feel better after a hospital stay?

* * *

Gabriella managed to lull into a fitful sleep sometime during the night. Her dreams were filled with the taunting images of his face, smiling before her, holding out his hand. _Gabi? Gabi? Gabi?_

She tossed and turned, whimpering against the blankets and when she awoke she felt tireder than she had been before she had fallen asleep.

For a few moments after waking Gabriella had lay her bed, Miles on her chest, groggily trying to determine reality through her pounding head. As time caught up with her, her stomach twinged. She was alone.

And then she realized what had woken her up in the first place, a thunderous pounding on her front door that rattled through her apartment.

'Gabriella! Gabriella!'

Taylor's voice was high and shrill, even through the heavy wooden door, too shrill for 8am.

Gabriella groaned meekly, stumbling out of bed as Taylor's voice added a new edge of panic.

'Gabi? Gabriella, open the door!'

Blindly Gabriella fumbled through her apartment, until she reached the door. Taylor was banging on the door rapidly now, practically screaming for Gabriella. The entire building would think that Gabriella had died.

'Tay… shut up,' she moaned, flinging open the door, 'Please,'

Taylor fell into the apartment in her surprise. Gabriella stepped back and immediately Taylor gasped, throwing her arms around her.

'Gabi… I was just so worried!'

Barely even opening her eyes, Gabriella began to wander back through her apartment in search of the coffee. She had barely slept and here was Taylor panicking.

'Oh, Gabi. I tried calling when I woke up and you didn't answer and then I thought that maybe flying had put too much pressure on your brain… it was my mind, it went crazy places. I convinced myself that because you weren't answering your phone that you were dead on your bathroom floor,'

Gabriella continued to ignore her as she poured herself a cup of coffee but Taylor was undeterred from her long, matronly rant. Gabriella brought the cup of warm liquid to her lips, allowing the bitter taste to seep in her mouth, alerting her almost instantly. Lazily she cracked open her eyes and surveyed Taylor over the counter.

'And anyway… you're fine, obviously, so I panicked for no good reason. Again,' Taylor concluded.

Wordlessly, Gabriella handed over another mug of coffee for Taylor who accepted it gratefully.

When Gabriella didn't say anything, but continued to stare down into her mug, Taylor clapped her hands together.

'So… how about we go see a movie today?'

Gabriella pondered the thought for a moment, toying with the idea of going out in public. She would have to get dressed and interact with other people. Then she would have to think about facial expressions and social cues and not seeming like a total freak when… when all she wanted to do was sit. Her limbs felt achy, her mind was thick and cottony, teeming with emotions that begged to be thought about and labelled with a name. How could she go out like that?

'No… thanks Tay. I think I'll stay in today,'

Taylor wasn't deterred that easily. She was Gabriella's self-proclaimed protector, and she wasn't going to leave without a fight.

'That's okay, how about we watch a movie here instead. You've still got your DVD's right?'

Gabriella knew there was no getting around Taylor and nodded quietly, 'Yeah, you know where they are…'

Satisfied Taylor got up and wandered over the Gabriella's TV, beginning to scratch through her DVD's. Gabriella sighed; even with Taylor here all the time, she'd never felt so alone.

Gabriella tried her hardest not to wince as Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan twirled around together on a rooftop, staring deeply into one another's eyes on her screen. This was too hard to bear, this wasn't something she wanted to be watching.

Taylor beside her was smiling faintly, staring at the romantic embrace, heaving a sigh as their lips finally met. Gabriella was certain that she hadn't heard a single word of the dialogue so far. The loving words she used to love so much were trite and difficult to listen to. This wasn't reality, because reality sucked.

Gabriella was so far removed from the movie that she didn't even hear it as Taylor switched it off.

'Talk to me,' she demanded.

Gabriella turned to her bewildered, 'Talk to you about what?'

'You're off. Something's not right… I'm worried about you Gabi,'

'You shouldn't be,' Gabriella replied quickly, too quickly.

'Gabi, you've been quiet and stand-offish ever since he left,'

'I'm just a bit spacey,' Gabriella promised, 'There's a lot in my head at the moment and… it's a lot to comprehend,'

'Then share with me,' Taylor implored, 'Make the load a little lighter. That's what I'm here for,'

Gabriella was silent, twisting her hands in her lap. She didn't know what to tell Taylor, she didn't even know what to tell herself.

'Gabi,' Taylor begged, 'It's okay to miss him. We all miss him,'

Gabriella stiffened. Troy. She wouldn't, _couldn't _think about Troy. It made her heart scream just a little bit louder.

'You know what,' she said sharply, standing up, 'I have to get some grocery shopping done. Catch up with some people from school… how about we meet later,'

Taylor only looked mildly surprised by Gabriella's abrasiveness, 'O-ok then sweetie… I'll see you later,'

Gabriella herded her out of the apartment, 'Yes, ok… goodbye,'

* * *

'Ok guys… next practice is on Thursday night!' the coach called over the bustle of his team.

They were all standing around the locker room, after an intense training session, packing their bags, more than ready to head home.

Troy barely looked up at his coach, instead continued to pack his bag while chatter swirled around him.

'Let's hit that new bar… there's one that opened last week,'

'Shit yeah man… text some of the girls, they'll wanna be in on this,'

'You know how I love cheerleaders…'

Troy wished he didn't have to listen this every day of his life. These guys got to go to bars and drink themselves into a stupor because their lives hadn't been ripped to shreds. They got to live the life of a twenty something because they didn't have holes in their chests where their hearts used to be.

'Bolton! You're on top form today!'

'Thanks coach,' he mumbled, still not making eye contact.

He stuffed the last of his clothes into his bag and began to zip it up.

'Yo, dude. You wanna hit up that bar with us?'

Troy turned at the sound of one of his team mates voice. He was leering at Troy with his cell phone extended, as if he was very pleased with himself.

'The girls are gonna join us there. You in?'

Troy didn't have the heart to tell him that his only plans for that evening were to sit at home, staring at the ceiling.

'Nah thanks man. I'm gonna crash,'

The other guy shrugged, wrinkling his nose, 'Whatever,'

Troy hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and made a move toward the door. Time to go home.

His coach, who held him back with a hand on his shoulder, stopped him.

'Bolton,' he said gravely, his voice low and gravelling as he watched the other boisterous men file out, 'We need to talk,'

The passing team member snorted, and threw a knowing glance back at Troy before hurrying to gossip to the man ahead of him.

Nobody on this team _liked _Troy. He was respected because they recognized him for what he was; a damn good player and they put up with him because of it but it frustrated them that he wasn't one of them. He was unwilling to go out with them, party with them; he wasn't taking advantage of the fame like they all had.

'Coach? What did you want?' Troy asked wearily, sinking down onto one of the benches.

The coach clapped his shoulder again, 'Bolton? Are you _in _this?'

Troy was so exhausted, he didn't even bother to try and comprehend the question.

'What?'

'This time? Are you devoted? Do you want us to win?'

'Of course sir,' he droned.

'Then what the hell is up with you? You're screwing around, moping your way around practice, pouting, going home alone every night. What the hell is wrong with you?'

'I'm tired sir…' he echoed emptily, offering the same excuse he had with every other person he encountered.

'You're in the limelight Bolton. There's no _time _for tired! You gotta be out there, smiling. I don't care what crap you're going through, just get it sorted. You're letting the team down,'

At one point in time, that remark would have crippled Troy. But now… in the after, it didn't even sting. Who gave a crap about the team when there was so much more to life?

Troy got up, shoving his way past the coach roughly, 'Whatever,'

'Bolton! Get yourself together!' the coach yelled out warningly.

Troy was already gone…

As Troy stormed out of the gym, the metal door slamming behind him heavily, the shuttering of light bulbs commenced.

Before going home, Troy had come to terms with his reality. They were paparazzi, they were always there.

But now… now there was Gabriella. Now there was her face, disbelieving and mildly mocking of the Hollywood lifestyle he led. _This wasn't the life he was supposed to be leading._

'Troy! Troy! Troy!' came the immediately shouts, everybody jostling and vying for his attention.

'Is it true that your high school sweetheart was almost killed in accident?'

Troy ignored the jolt of pain as the first mention of her sliced through his heart.

'Did you rush down to Albuquerque because of your secret lover? Are you two an item now?'

'Why are you dating her Troy? She's got nothing on the Laker girls, why her Troy, that's what your fans want to know?'

'Is she as ugly as the reports? Are you really just being charitable?'

'Is she really close to death?'

Troy tried his hardest to block out the taunting comments, begging for him to retaliate, begging for him to give them something they could use.

He pushed his way through the shouting and writhing gaggle, the flash burning his eyes through his sunglasses. Still surrounded he managed to fight his way into his car, slamming the door behind him, shoving his key firmly in the ignition. His foot thumped against the gas pedal and with a screech his car tore out of the parking lot.

The whole drive home, Troy didn't think. He stared at the road, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so tight that his fists were shaking. He couldn't handle this… he couldn't…

As his car skidded to a halt in the parking of his apartment building, the car was silenced. Weakly, little left to give or feel, Troy slumped over the steering wheel, sobs beginning to tremble in his frame. _This wasn't the life he was supposed to be leading._

* * *

The weeks passed and as they did Gabriella withdrew herself further and further away from her friends. She found her nights growing longer and colder as she huddled in her dark apartment considering the only truth she knew. She was lonely. Taylor grew panicky and continued to hover, always finding an excuse to stop at her friend's place, to try and convince Gabriella to share with her what she was feeling. Instead Gabriella always found a way to divert conversation away from herself throwing herself wholeheartedly into wedding planning. The busier she was, the less she had time to think. That way she wouldn't fall apart.

'So… green is the colour scheme, Sharpay is flying up in two weeks time for the initial fitting and Zeke's coming up to discuss wedding cake designs,' Gabriella concluded, closing Taylor's notebook.

'Yes,' Taylor nodded.

She had started watching Gabriella wearily, as if, without warning, she would crumble and Taylor would be the one to try and hold her together. She was so preoccupied with watching Gabriella that her wedding planning hadn't been fully focused.

Chad slurped at his coffee beside his fiancé. He was gripping her hand tightly, sharing her fear. This was beginning to feel like deja vu. Before them, Gabriella was disappearing, pallid and ghostly, wandering around the city organizing their wedding with more effort than she had tried her own. She made excuses to avoid going out with them, particularly in a large social group and managed to keep them at arm's length so they never knew what she was thinking. Taylor tried desperately to pry it out of her, trying to let her know that missing him was normal. But none of them could deny the fact that this time, he really _had _left a hole.

This was one of those rare occasions where they had succeeded in removing her from her apartment. They had got her to sit at a table with them for two whole hours and they were comfortably discussing wedding plans. As soon as they attempted to change the topic to anything personal that would garner them some answers into what she was thinking Gabriella would get flighty and they would have to struggle to get her to stay.

It had been peaceful, a nice calm Sunday morning at their favourite coffee shop, just being old friends. It didn't feel like the whole world had changed.

'I'm going to go,' Gabriella announced abruptly, sorting her things under the table, 'I've gotta go,'

'Where are you going?' Taylor questioned knowingly.

Gabriella faltered and her eyes slid away from her best friend, 'I was thinking of taking a walk…'

'How about I come with you?'

Gabriella looked panicked, as if she was being surrounded and she couldn't find an escape.

'No… no, it's okay. I'm just going to walk over to that bagel vendor that I love and then head home. I'm sure… Will and Grace reruns are on or something…'

'I could go for a bagel,' Taylor volunteered.

She nudged Chad viciously in the ribs and he smiled brightly, 'Me too,'

Gabriella's dark eyes grew wide and anxious and she nodded helplessly, 'Ok…'

Taylor and Chad gathered their own belongings, tossing down a handful of bills.

Reluctantly Gabriella fell into step with them as they ambled along the pavement. Chad wrapped his arm around Taylor's waist, pulling her in closer to him as Gabriella drifted away from them absently. It felt like before, it felt like they were losing their very best friend. It had taken them years to get her back again and they weren't going to let it happen this time. Chad had to do something, something drastic. He had to play all his cards, because otherwise they may lose her.

* * *

A few hours later, Gabriella was back home. She stirred viciously at the thick, gooey liquid in the bowl in her hands, a frown wrinkling her brow as she whipped it.

She was baking because it was one thing that kept her concentrated, but never failed on her. It was simple, it was science. Follow the recipe and everything will be okay.

Why wasn't everything that simple?

Miles whined pitifully, winding himself between her legs, begging for attention but she continued to stir.

She was panicky, desperate not to let Chad or Taylor into the mess that she had created. If she stopped running, stopped dancing away from the truth, the tangle of emotions in her brain then she knew she would crash. Everything would hit her and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to get up again. How long could she keep running for?

The sound of a key clicking in her front door alerted her and her head lifted. Taylor, again.

The door creaked as it swung open, and the sound of footsteps on her hardwood floors followed.

'Taylor,' she sighed, 'Honestly, I'm _fine_. I'm not… crying in here or anything. I'm just baking.'

There was a moment of silence before a soft sigh, 'It's me. Tay's not here,'

Gabriella was surprised to hear Chad's voice from behind the kitchen wall and immediately set her bowl aside.

'Chad? What are you doing here?'

'I needed to talk to you about something,'

He emerged them, hands in his pockets, head down, a cautious look on his face.

'O-ok… is everything alright? You haven't call the wedding off have you?'

Gabriella was wary of the look on his face; it certainly wasn't the upbeat chipper one she was accustomed to.

Chad laughed, a soft weary chuckle, filled with sadness, 'No. _We're _fine. It's you I'm worried about,'

Immediately Gabriella prepared to put up her defences. She bristled indignantly and braced herself for a fight.

'Hey, hey,' he said softly, 'Don't go getting all crazy on me. I'm not going to ask you questions, I'm not going to ask you anything. I just wanna talk to you,'

Chad hoisted himself onto one of her stools, propping himself up on the granite bench.

'What…' he began, testing the words out unsurely, 'What I'm about to show you, I've had in my possession for many years now. It was never something I intended to show you again, I thought it would break you but now… now things have changed. Ok? Things are different now and, call me crazy, but I think that it's going to make you a happier stronger person in the long run. Karma's not that much of a bitch right?'

Gabriella couldn't even bring herself to smile. An odd numb sensation was spreading through her limbs and she had to lean against the bench opposite Chad for support. She didn't understand…

'So, please, when I give this to you, don't freak out. Just… look at it, and think about what it meant. I really hope I'm doing the right thing by you…'

Slowly, his face cautious and scared, Chad delved his hands into his jean pocket. His hand emerged, curled around a crumpled envelope and he slid it across the bench to her.

'This has always belonged to you. Think of it as me returning a possession that I borrowed,'

Gabriella wished her hands didn't shake as she reached out for the envelope. She shook it, tipping it's contents out over the black bench.

Immediately Gabriella's heart stopped and her blood ran cold. An involuntary gasp rose in her throat, followed by the threat of a sob.

Out of that small plain envelope tumbled a tiny, modest diamond ring. It sat there, sparkling dimly up at her, taunting her, teasing her.

Everything seemed to stop and she couldn't move her body. It couldn't be…

That was _her_ ring. The ring that Troy had so lovingly slid on her finger, the ring that she had adorned on her left hand for so long, the ring that she had thrown at him as he had walked out of her life.

And yet, there it was, exactly the same as she remembered it. _Her _ring.

'But how…' she gasped.

Chad shook his head, five hundred emotions flashing over his features, 'The day… that day we came to get you. I found it there on the floor. At the time I believed… I believed that this couldn't be forever and that one day you'd want that ring back, so I put it in my pocket… but I guess…'

'Oh god,' she whispered, lifting a shaking hand to her mouth, 'Oh my god…'

Without direction her other hand reached out for the ring, cupping it in the palm of her hand. She had loved that ring, that ring used to mean so much.

'Gabi,' Chad murmured softly, 'You need to remember what that ring meant. You need to remember how he made you feel then… and now. You need to think about that, because you're falling apart and… and maybe this time we won't be able to save you,'

Gabriella's frame began to shudder with the tears that had been begging for release since he left. He was gone and she was here alone with her ring. She had come a full circle once again. She collapsed in a heap against the bench, wracking with sobs.

Immediately Chad was at her side, cradling her to his chest as her anguish grew. She was alone. She was alone. She was so confused.

'Ssshh…' he murmured, 'It's ok… it'll all be okay,'

Slowly he carried her to the couch, placing her down on it gently. He wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

'That's all I can do for you Gabi,' he said, 'You need to figure the rest out on your own for now. But we'll be here when you need us,'

Curling up in a ball, Gabriella's cries continued even as he backed away, leaving her to the complex thoughts and feelings. It was her life now, her responsibility to figure out. He couldn't do it for her, no matter how much he wished he could take the pain away. Now it was up to her and fate to see what would happen. But even as he stepped into the elevator, he could still hear her cries. She would get better soon…

* * *

Eventually the cries quietened, the tears ran their course and she was left with nothing but the aching hole of reality. He was gone and she was alone.

She had given everything she had to give in protecting herself, but reality had caught up with her. She had cried herself beyond the point of exhaustion and she sat, heavy and limp against her couch.

Gabriella heaved a long sigh, curling her hands around the glass of milk in her hands. Her entire apartment was dim, lit only by the glitter of New York's nightlife below. Miles sat beside her, curled into her side, purring contentedly as long as her fingers continued to scratch behind his ears.

She missed him.

It was the truth, she missed him even when she'd never planned to. Why was that so hard for her to come to terms with? She. Missed. Him.

She had gotten used to the sensation of his absence years ago, until it faded to the back of her mind, just something that was always there so she never thought about it. Now it was back at the foreground of her mind, with years of heartache to offer.  
She curled the blanket tighter around her body, shuddering. The worst part was that she had gotten used to him. When he returned, he was there, attentive and so affectionate. She had gotten used to the man that was always around. She had gotten used to his bright sunny smiles, his hugs and that fact that when she was with him, she was _never _alone. She had gotten used to having him around when she never should have, because now she was left with nothing. Somehow she had to learn to get used to him not being around all over again.

This wasn't how she'd planned it. This wasn't how her life was supposed to go. After he left she'd made new plans, hasty and crude, but they were plans to be alone, to feel nothing.

And yet, somehow she'd managed to learn to love him again. She'd learnt to trust him and to know what it felt like to have him beside her. And now…

'Gabi? Honey?'

Taylor's voice was soft and cautious as she entered the apartment.

Gabriella was sick of hiding from Taylor. She needed her, she needed to not be alone anymore.

'I'm here,' she croaked weakly.

Taylor scurried into the room at the sound of her voice, her shoes flying off as she ran to her friend.

'Gabi, honey, oh, god… Chad told me he came over,' she whispered.

She flung her arms around Gabriella's neck, pulling her tightly to her, 'Are you ok?'

Gabriella shook her head against the crook of her neck, tears springing to her eyes.

She clung to Taylor, holding her tightly. Everything was so emotional and horrible right now. She needed someone to hold her.

Taylor shifted in the couch so that their hips were touching. She grabbed Gabriella's free hand, squeezing it tightly, 'We'll be fine honey. Do you want to talk to me?'

For the first time in five years, Gabriella was truly ready to talk to Taylor. She squeezed her hand tightly and opened her fist to reveal to Taylor what Chad had given her.

Taylor gasped sharply, her eyes widening.

'Gabi… that's…'

'That's my ring,' she whispered hoarsely, 'Yeah…'

'But how…'

'Chad's had it, all this time.'

'Oh my god… how are you handling this?'

Gabriella sighed, 'I'm not… _this _is how I'm handling this. I'm letting reality catch up with me,'

Taylor wrapped an arm around her shoulders, 'Oh honey… I'm so sorry. What can I do to help you?'

Gabriella dropped her head onto her friend's shoulder, 'Just stay here with me…'

Taylor and Gabriella sat together, huddled on the couch, studying their two rings between them. Taylor's sparkly, beautiful and new; a proud proclamation of her true love. Gabriella's: tainted, small and tarnished, the sad farewell to a love that they would never get back.

'I love him,' Gabriella whispered, tears choking her voice, 'And I'm afraid that I always will…'

Taylor choked on her own sob, tightening her hug around her best friend, 'I know…'

The two sisters sat together in the apartment, providing one another with the only comfort they could. They allowed the tears to fall, both mourning the loss of a love so innocent and pure that would never be reclaimed.

* * *

Troy cradled his head in his hands as the team bustled around him. His head ached, his heart ached and his whole damn body ached. People were expecting smiles and laughter from him when all he wanted to do was cry, all the time. He felt like he wasn't even there because she wasn't. He didn't know what he felt, he couldn't allow himself to know. He needed to protect himself against…

'BOLTON!'

Troy got wearily to his feet to see his team already assembled, waiting impatiently for him. He stumbled to them, picking up a ball as he went.

'Ok… run that play again,' the coach barked.

Instinctively Troy went into player mode, passing the ball deftly the another team mate . The game hurried forward and Troy chased after the ball.

When he was in the zone he was unaffected. So long as he was playing well he was untouchable and nothing, not even gnawing emotions could catch him there.

It came down to free throws, all the guys standing around the circle, perfecting their already flawless shooting.

'Bolton, your pass,'

Troy had stopped running and now he was just beat. He was running in the game, running in life and his body could only take so much. He flicked the ball aimlessly toward the hoop and without surprise it bounced off the rim. The other guys sniggered and the coach swore loudly.

'Bolton, get your head in the fucking game! I'm sick of this crap and if you don't get it together…'

The guys sniggered as another team mate executed a perfect shot and Troy rolled his eyes.

'Give Bolton back the ball. He's just out of it and if he doesn't make this shot…'

Suddenly Troy didn't want to make this shot. He didn't _want _to give the coach the satisfaction. _"This crap" _was his life whether or not the coach liked it.

Again he tossed the ball in the vague direction of the hoop and it missed it completely. For the first time in his life he didn't want to play.

'BOLTON!' the coach roared.

Immediately the taunting began, 'Yeah that fucking car accident must have really got you. You must be brain dead like your girlfriend,'

'Good to know you'll have a lengthy career dickhead,'

'That hole that you call your home, why don't you just go crawl back there, at least they'd _like _you there,'

That was the straw that broke his back. That finally taunting comment about home. For a moment he froze, the ball in his hands.

'_Troy, how about you tell me how you feel? What do you feel about me?'_

'_For five years now we've been carrying around a missing piece of ourselves and all this time it's been you. The missing piece. And now… now that you're back? It feels like for the first time in years that it's beginning to heal itself again. We're all beginning to heal again.'_

'_Tragedies happen for a reason Troy, you just have to be strong enough to figure out why'_

His mind was suddenly blank. The reason. All tragedies happened for a reason…

He had been looking for a home and now, he'd truly found it. All this time he'd been running, but he'd been running in the wrong direction.

He turned to the guy who made that final comment, a large, satisfied grin growing on his face.

'You know what… I just might do that,' he bellowed.

He tossed the ball up in the air and stalked out of the gym amid dumbfounded stares and the coach's scream of, 'BOLTON!'

It didn't matter because for the first time since he'd gotten back to LA it felt like he was doing the right thing. He was going home to his heart.

* * *

_We were left in this world for each other, but I can't run from the fate I've been fighting for so long... _

_– Bleak feat Ana Johnsson._

* * *

**Ok, seriously. We have two chapters left and I've given these chapters my all. I need you to do the same for me. There are almost 150 people who have this story on alert and another 100 who have it favourited. That's a lot of people who are reading who aren't reviewing!**

**It takes me a week to write each of these chapters, but it only takes you a minute to review. Please let me know what you think, I appreciate every single comment!**


	23. Okay

Troy had never been so certain of anything in his life. He was doing something stupid and reckless and he had no idea if it would even work. He was sacrificing the life he'd become accustomed to, heading for the life he believed was really his. He was barely thinking, still giddy with the adrenaline of his idiocy. This could backfire, everything could go wrong and his life would fall to pieces. Yet still, he'd never been happier. This future was so uncertain and for once he didn't care. God only knew what would happen next. He fidgeted in his seat, strapping his seatbelt tightly across his lap as a cool voice announced the one thing he'd been waiting to hear.

'We'll be landing in New York in ten minutes,'

* * *

'Ah, here comes the princess,' Chad remarked dryly.

They were all sitting around a table at a café, hungry and impatient when Sharpay trotted into the store. She was carrying an armload of shopping bags, smiling in a very self-satisfied manner.

Zeke sighed, torn between exasperation and amusement and pulled out the chair beside him for her to sit.

'Where have you been hon?' he laughed softly, 'We've been waiting for you,'

Sharpay and Zeke were in New York for the weekend under the pretence of wedding preparations. Zeke got his tux fitted and was in intense wedding case talks with Taylor. Sharpay had been in the bridal store with Gabriella all morning getting their bridesmaid dresses fitted. When they were done, Gabriella suggested that they take a break and grab a bite to eat at a café down the street. Sharpay promised she'd be there in a moment but first wanted to grab something from a store she'd seen on the way there.

It took her an hour and a half to show up again, leaving a group of cranky and anxious friends in her wake.

Sharpay feigned an innocent look, her eyes wide and youthful and she batted her eyelashes at Zeke.

'I just… I lost track of the time,'

Her perfect impression was ruined by the grin that followed and she clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle the guilty giggle.

'Shar!' Chad groaned.

'Ok, ok!' she giggled, 'I'm sorry! It's just… I went to that store and then there was this other store beside it and then… there was another one beside _that_,'

'That's generally common,' Taylor said dryly, unimpressed.

'But, there was just all this stuff I had to get! Look at this!'

Sharpay delved into the bags at her feet, scratching through them all thoughtfully. She reappeared clutching a tiny, pint-sized pink t-shirt adorned with sparkles and diamantes.

'_Look _at this!' she squealed, 'Isn't it adorable!'

The rest of the group exchanged dubious looks. This was exactly what Ryan would hate and Sharpay knew that.

Despite their exasperation at Sharpay the girls couldn't stop the feminine sigh that escaped their mouths.

'It's so small,' Gabriella marvelled.

Taylor pouted at the shirt, resting her head on her fiancé's shoulder, 'So cute…'

Chad leant down, pressing a kiss to the top of her forehead, 'You can have one of your own someday…'

Taylor's eyes lit up and she twisted to press a kiss to Chad's lips. Meanwhile Zeke and Sharpay's hands had linked tightly and he was whispering to her.

'Maybe you should save that for our baby. It'll look pretty damn cute,'

Sharpay positively melted, and swooned, leaning into Zeke, 'Aawww…'

Gabriella instantly felt uncomfortable, surrounded by couples who were planning their futures. That future could have been her own…

'Um… I think I'm just gonna head out maybe… leave you all to it,'

Immediately Taylor looked up from her thoughtful contemplation of Chad's eyes, an instant guilt-ridden look flushing her face.

'Oh… Gabi…'

'No, really. It's okay. Really, I'm just going to head home and watch a movie or something…'

'Gabs,' Zeke sighed.

'Come on,' she laughed airily, 'This is just a little weird. I'll be fine. I only live like two blocks away from here,'

'It's cold Gabs, catch a taxi,' Taylor ordered.

'_No_,' she chuckled, amused by their over protectiveness, 'The cold air will do me good, I'm sure.'

It had been almost three months since Troy had left Albuquerque and winter was nearing dangerously. It was getting cold and rainy and her friends seemed to believe that her mood would crash any minute.

She gathered her coat, sliding it over her shoulders, grabbing her bag off the floor.

'Come around later ok Shar? We'll all go to dinner tonight or something? How does that sound?'

'Sounds fabulous darling,' Sharpay replied dramatically, blowing her a kiss, 'Call you tonight,'

With a small wave, Gabriella swept out of the coffee shop, headed for home. The walk would do her good.

* * *

Troy's heart was pounding and he couldn't stop the jittering in his limbs.

'Bolton. It was a surprise to hear from you,' the man remarked curiously.

He nodded numbly, fearful of his brain blurting something stupid and random.

'A _pleasant _one though. All systems seem go for me so, do you have any questions?'

This time he shook his head just as silently, his fingers curling into tight fists. This was really happening…

'Well, this is yours. You just have to get it back to me by the end of the week if you want to wait, just look over the papers and then… we're good,' the man stated, offering him a thick manila folder.

The man extended his hand and Troy gripped it firmly, shaking his hand with a growing smile.

'Thankyou sir,' he beamed.

This was his future.

* * *

Gabriella drew her coat closer around herself as she wandered along the pavement. The crisp air chilled her exposed skin and she huddled tighter, trying to converse her body heat before she got home.

She really wished she wasn't so uncomfortable being around them. She hated that she couldn't stay when they began to kiss and plan bright futures that would never belong to them. She wasn't jealous, she was happy for them, they all deserved the world's happiness, but… she should be sharing that future too.

It was hard sometimes as she watched her friends grow into adults, moving in together, proposing, planning weddings, having babies, knowing that if things hadn't been different…

If Troy hadn't left, she would be married. She would be happy and maybe there would even be a baby on the way. Things would have been so different. Perhaps she would have lived in a different place, lead a completely different. It would have been a life full of possibility and brightness. Instead she was alone in New York City, with a future that only offered tedious, exhausting work and middle-age. How different things could have been…

In an attempt to distract her mind from the torturous game of 'What If', Gabriella quickly diverted to the topic of the wedding. There was so much to do and only a few months left to do it in. It was all happening so fast it scared her. Soon they would be married and their lives would hurry on. She didn't want to be left behind.

Still absent, Gabriella turned down into her street, her hands curled in her pockets. The street was icy and her heels threatened to slip out from underneath her. She had to concentrate.

She was so swept up in the need to remain upright that she didn't look ahead of her. She didn't feel anything different about her street, she didn't sense her life about to change.

She didn't look up again until she was almost at her front steps. And then…

'Oh,'

The gasp was involuntary, conveying her genuine surprise as she saw him sitting there.

'Troy…'

* * *

His heart had never sung so loud as he'd seen her trotting down her street. All rugged up, her long legs encased in thick black tights, teetering on heels as she made her way toward him cluelessly. She had been preoccupied, her mind obviously far away with some crazy, wild planning that her tireless brain always concocted. New, long sheets of glossy ebony hair cascaded down her shoulders, stopping just shy of her waist and the icy air coloured her cheeks.

Just the mere sight of her calmed his nerves. Maybe this wouldn't go wrong after all.

She didn't look up until she was mere feet from him. She spied him, sitting on her stoop, elbows resting on his knees and she froze. Instantly her dark eyes widened, a million and a half emotions crossing through them. For a moment they were terrified until she settled on surprise.

'Oh,' she gasped, 'Troy?'

'Um…' he said, the nerves suddenly reappearing, 'Hey,'

She took another hesitant step toward him, 'Hey,'

'So uh…' he trailed off, his mind blank. What did he say to he? He couldn't say it outright could he?

Instead he got to his feet, shortening the gap between them marginally with a step in her direction.

'I like this,' he said vaguely, tugging gently on one of the long wavy strands around her shoulders, 'It looks nice. It hasn't been that long since…'

'Since college,' she finished, 'Yeah I know,'

She looked down, self consciously her own fingers wrapping around the strand he'd fondly tugged, her eyes wistful.

'Yeah, it was a wedding present from Taylor to me. It grew long enough to put extensions in it and… I don't think she wanted a bald bridesmaid,'

Troy opened his mouth to protest, but Gabriella beat him, a delicate frown creasing her brow.

'So um, w-why are you here? The Lakers aren't playing this weekend are they? And… Tay and Chad's wedding's not for another month. We were going to get your tux fitted in LA…so…'

Even Gabriella's brilliant brain couldn't piece together Troy's reckless decision and he didn't know whether that was a good thing or not.

'Um, no… I'm actually here for… a completely different reason,' he stated, his voice beginning to shake.

'Oh.'

Her eyes were inquisitive and it was clear she was waiting on an answer.

'I'm actually here on business,'

Shock registered on her face and then confusion, 'Business?'

'Yeah, some very serious matters that I needed to discuss with someone,'

'Someone… who?'

'The coach of the Knicks,'

His statement fell between them, a bewildered silence on her behalf. Her eyebrows disappeared beneath her hairline and he could almost see her brain racing.

'The coach of the Knicks,' she echoed.

'Yeah… I made this really crazy decision the other night and… he's my go to man,'

Gabriella was silent for another long moment before she shook her head, 'Troy I don't understand, you're talking in riddles. Why are you here?'

He shoved his free hand in his pocket, shuffling awkwardly, 'Look, I've quit the Lakers,'

'What?' she gasped, 'But Troy… why would you do that? That's insane, that was always your dream! I thought they were about to promote you to captain!'

'Dreams change,' Troy shrugged, 'And besides the Lakers was only half the dream. It wasn't a very good dream without the other half,'

Gabriella looked unimpressed at his excuse, obviously decided that he was throwing away his future, and maybe he was.

'And that other half that… that you can't _possibly _live without would be? Troy what is so important that you ruined your chance at NBA captain? What could be that important?'

His hands were shaking and his entire body ran cold. He couldn't stop the words from sprinting out of his mouth.

'You,'

Gabriella gasped, stumbling a step away from his instinctually. She clapped her hand over her mouth and stared at him wide-eyed.

'Troy…' she whispered shakily.

'Gabi,' he began immediately, taking a step in her direction, his hand outstretched, 'Please… I'm not doing this… _crazy _and stupid thing. I don't' expect anything from you. If it's not what you want then… then I'll figure something else out,'

'Figure out!' she shrieked, on the brink of hysteria, 'What have you got figured out? You quit your job and flew from LA to New York because I wasn't in your life! What have you got figured out! You haven't got a home or a job… or… _anything. _Troy! What have you done!'

He shrugged, shaking his head, 'I know it sounds stupid, but… it feels right. LA wasn't my home. I needed to be where I belonged,'

'How do you know that you belong here!' she demanded, her voice shrill with panic.

'You're here,' he murmured, 'Whether or not we were ever together, you were the place I felt the most at home.'

Gabriella couldn't create an argument for that, but continued to stare at him through wide, fearful eyes.

'And, don't worry about me Gabi. I'm a big boy… I've got this figured out. When I met with the Knicks coach… he was offering me… he offered me a starting position for the upcoming season. One of the guys busted his knee beyond repair in training. If I wanted it, there would be a job there,'

Gabriella was quivering from head to toe, 'So… you'd be here. In New York for…'

'For a while, a few years at least. Until my basketball career was over I guess,'

'Oh god,' she whispered behind her hand, 'Oh…'

'Gabi, _please_. I won't sign these papers if you don't want me here. I don't want you to feel like I'm expecting something from you. I just… I just wanted to let you know,'

'Let me know what Troy?' she demanded, 'All that you've told me so far is that you've thrown away your life!'

Troy was silent for a moment, his heart thundering against his rib cage.

'I wanted… I wanted to let you know that… that ever since I walked out the door we were fighting fates command. The lives that we're leading now, apart, aren't the lives we're supposed to be leading. This _isn't how the story goes._ I don't want to fight fate any longer because… I want to wake up to your face in the morning, I want to be around you all the time. Albuquerque made me realize that, that you're the only person I want to be with. I want to let you know that… I love you,'

'Oh my god,' she murmured, her eyes sparkling with tears full of the emotions that he feared, 'You… you're saying…'

'Troy!' she cried, 'You're saying all these _amazing _things, promising me… promising me the whole world. But, I barely know you! You just turned your life upside down for me! You…'

She stopped, frozen, echoing her same words, this time her tone soft and reverent, 'You just turned you _whole _life upside for… for _me_,'

There was no time for thinking. It was her heart's turn to rule.

Without another thought Gabriella stepped forward, bridging the gap between them, reaching for him. Their lips met for the first time in five years and it was that moment that it felt like home. There was a new familiarity to this kiss that made his heart sing. In all these years, he'd never really forgotten what it felt like. With the sweet delicate scent of her skin, her soft, tender lips moving against his, her warm and curved body pressed to his strong muscled one. It like everything was perfect as her hands stroked his face and his hands fell into the curve of her waist that used to be their home.

For a moment, there was nothing but them, no wind, no cold, no New York City. Just… just Troy and Gabriella, the people that were always meant to be. Two people who were finished fighting fate.

Their lips broke with a breathless gasp and Troy pulled Gabriella closed to him. Now he knew what he had been waiting for all these years. He finally felt whole again.

Gabriella pressed her head against his chest, clutching him tightly, as if she feared that she would find it all a dream if she let go.

Neither of them knew what they were doing, this was a dangerous and messy thing they were getting themselves into but nothing had ever felt so right. They had so much to talk about, so many years to recover but in that moment, Troy didn't care.

He pressed a kiss into the top of her sweet hair, 'Let me do one thing,'

He released her for a moment, despite the scream of protest from his heart. He knelt down on her front stoop, opening the manila folder he'd been handed hours before.

'This is what I want Gabi, tell me that you want it too,'

Gabriella stared at him, like a deer in headlights for a long moment before delving her hand into her purse. She emerged, a biro clasped between her long fingers.

She laughed nervously, 'I don't know what I want anymore! I think… I think this is really what I want!'

She passed the biro to him with a giddy nod, 'If you're sure…'

He looked up at her, flushed and nervous and he smiled, 'I've never been surer of anything,'

Without hesitation he scrawled out his signature on the line. He capped the pen and sighed, rolling back onto his haunches.

'There we go,'

Gabriella nodded, 'There we go,'

He stood up again, gathering the folder as he did. He pulled Gabriella into his arms, holding her to him tightly. He didn't want to ever let her go.

'I'm scared Troy,' she whispered, 'We can't get it wrong this time,'

'We won't,'

She looked up at him and her eyes were full of a new kind of light. Hope.

'Come on,' she sighed, her fingers lacing with his, 'Let's go inside,'

Their hands locked tightly, she pulled him up the stairs gently. Tomorrow was a scary concept, one that was filled with some much uncertainty and… for the first time in five years; possibility.

What they had ahead of them would not be easy, but somehow they were all a little more whole because of it. Gabriella squeezed his hand tightly and he reciprocated in a gesture of affection that settled her fears.

They'd be okay.

* * *

_Maybe you were just afraid  
__Knowing you were miles away  
__From the place where you needed to be  
__And that's right here with me  
__If it's you and me forever  
__If it's you and me right now  
__I'd be all alright_

_- Jonas Brothers_

* * *

**There we have it. Just the epilogue left and then we have to part (for a while at least, I can't stop this addiction!)**


	24. Epilogue: Home

'I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,'

Chad grinned devilishly, pulling his new wife into him roughly, their lips meeting in a passionate, not-appropriate-for-church kiss. The pews full of basketball players erupted into loud catcalls and Troy grinned at his new team mates. Sharpay tipped her head back cupping her mouth to emit a loud high pitched yell. Chad and Taylor pulled away grinning broadly, their arms wrapped around one another. This was definitely no ordinary wedding.

Kelsi was smiling proudly and Ryan and Zeke were cheering racously behind him. And then there was Gabriella. Giddy giggles were lifting from her chest as she clapped her hand, the musty church air painting a dusky glow over her youthful face.

The band struck up an upbeat song and Chad and Taylor with another cheer, set off down the aisle hand in hand. Troy followed, wrapping an arm around Gabriella as they met at the altar. She beamed up at him and they began their fast-paced trot down the aisle.

'Hey gorgeous,' he greeted softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

She nudged him in the stomach playfully, 'Ssshh… we're still in a church!'

'We won't be in a few seconds,'

True to his word, Gabriella and Troy emerged out the church doors a few seconds later. Chad and Taylor were standing in the middle of the green expanse, entwined, laughing. Gabriella shrieked and dashed towards them, 'You're married!'

Taylor turned, ripping away from her husband, 'Gabi I'm married!'

The two best friends met in an excited embrace spinning around together. Troy laughed, his eyes meeting with Chad's as they both studied their girls.

'Hey buddy,' Troy greeted, ambling over to him, 'How does it feel to be a married man?'

'Well I've been married for thirty seconds now and so far this has been my sight…' Chad shrugged, gesturing to the laughing girls.

The foursome were joined by Ryan and Kelsi who smiled as they saw the infectious euphoria pouring from the two girls. They were quickly followed by Zeke and Sharpay caught mid-kiss on their way out of the church.

'That was so beautiful!' Kelsi proclaimed.

Before anyone could say anything else a storm of people flooded out of the church, bustling and chattering. Their group moment would have to wait.

* * *

A few hours later after they all managed to arrive at the reception. For those torturous hours they had been forced to pose and smile and laugh at the camera for the sake of future nostalgia and it killed him. He had watched Gabriella in her green dress that hugged in _just _the right places posing and pouting playfully for the camera and he wasn't allowed to do a damn thing about it. He had stood on the sidelines staring hungrily without a single allowance for a reprieve. All he wanted was to get his hands on her, around her waist, feeling his body against his. When the photos had finished the bridesmaids and groomsmen were herded into different limousines much to his dismay.

When they arrived at the reception there was little time for anything other than sitting down for dinner. The guests were impatient, having waited after the ceremony for the wedding party to arrive. He managed to take his seat beside Gabriella and she smiled gently up at him.

Suddenly there was a microphone thrust in his direction and he blinked balefully. In his desperation for Gabriella had forgotten that he was supposed to announce the happy couple.

He got up from his seat quickly, looking around the group, 'Hi there everyone. Before dinner starts, and it will shortly I promise, I'd like to present to you all the new Mr and Mrs Danforth,'

Some cheesy upbeat song started and Taylor and Chad strolled in, still beaming. If Troy hadn't been looking closer he knew he would have missed Taylor's mussed hair and the smudge of lipstick on Chad's collar and he hoped that he was the only one who noticed that.

Chad strutted around cockily, Taylor rolling her eyes at him as they went. When they finally took a seat Chad leant over and kissed his bride again.

Not wishing to without food from a room full of athletes, Troy hurriedly nodded at the caterers who immediately brought forth food. After a brief moment in which they swapped their plates around (everyone who wanted chicken got fish and everyone who got fish wanted chicken) they settled down for the meal. The room swirled with amicable chatter, filling the air alongside the clanking of cutlery against the plates. Up on the bridal party's table, Sharpay trilled away to Gabriella, two seats down from her while Zeke tried fruitlessly to recapture her attention. Kelsi was concentrated wholeheartedly on her meal, answering only in vague murmurs to her attentive husband's questions and Chad and Taylor were lost in their own world to one another. That effectively left Troy alone to his own meal, despite his desperation to talk to or touch Gabriella. Although she was held captive to Sharpay's relentless conversation she made certain that he knew that she knew he was there. As she would cut a piece of her chicken her hand would brush against his and sometimes she would lean back whilst she was nodding interestedly, her shoulder gently bumping his. Still that wasn't enough, he needed all of her and it took all his willpower not to lean over and kiss her.

When the meal was finished it was time for speeches. They sat through Chad's father waxing lyrical about his son to which Chad only rolled his eyes playfully and they grimaced through Taylor's mother's tearful proclamations of love. Then it was their turn.

As the microphone was handed over to them, Troy reached out for Gabriella's hand. A ripple of laughter ran through the group as Gabriella daintily got to her feet, her fingers lacing with his.

'Wow…' she laughed nervously, surveying the gathered crowd, 'I _really _don't like speaking in public.'

Another murmur of appreciative laughter rippled through the crowd and Gabriella's tense shoulders relaxed a little.

'Taylor and I, we've known each other since junior year of high school. We bonded over the fact that we _weren't _cheerleaders and that we were strangers among our own people. The day that I met her, Taylor proclaimed that we were "sisters". I have to admit, at the time, I didn't believe her. I moved every summer and never saw any of my old friends again, there was no way I'd ever bond with someone deep enough for them to be my sister. But then… then things changed. She met Chad and despite everything she told me, everything she swore she hated about him, they fell in love. They _both _became my family and they were there when I needed them. They were there for the triumphs and the heartbreaks and even when I pushed them away they kept coming back. I've _never _met a couple so dynamic, so unlikely before,'

Gabriella paused for a moment, lifting her champagne flute, inclining her head at her two best friends, 'But nor have I ever met a couple so perfect. To Chad and Tay,'

'To Chad and Tay,' the crowd echoed.

Gabriella passed over the microphone to Troy and he laughed, 'Um, that's a tough speech to follow.'

Various teasing yells came from amongst the crowd and Troy laughed again, 'Ok, so… Chad and I have been brothers since preschool. I don't know why, I don't know how. He's just been one of those things that's _always _been a part of my life. We've seen each other through cooties and the Boogieman, through handmade Valentines and afternoon cartoons. We saw each other through… that horrid, awkward transition of girls and cars and all this crazy messed up stuff that neither of us understood. I was there, watching him pace back and forth in front of the mirror before his first date with Taylor as he almost tore his hair out with terror. I was there for a hell of a lot of stuff. And then I wasn't. Suddenly we played on opposite teams, and still… still somehow Chad found the power to forgive me. He found the power to be my best friend again when I needed him the most. Chad's my best friend and my brother and he's so lucky that he's found a girl like Taylor. Because no woman can keep him in line like she can,'

Taylor beamed proudly, murmuring, 'Damn straight,'

'So Chad, buddy, I'm proud of you. For being so _much _more than the basketball guy, for being man enough to love a girl like Taylor. I wish you both the world of happiness. A toast to Chad and Taylor,'

'To Chad and Taylor,'

Troy looked around, grinning suddenly, 'And _that _brings us to Chad's most anticipated event of this evening. He's been training for months and he's very ecstatic about being able to share this with _all _the hundreds of people at his wedding. So, ladies and gentleman, without further ado, I invite Taylor and Chad to the floor for their first dance,'

Chad swore under his breath, glaring at Troy murderously. Taylor grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet, eyeing him down threateningly.

'You do not get out of this,' she hissed.

Chad continued to glare at Troy amid sniggers from the crowd as Taylor led him away from the bridal party's table towards the dance floor. As they went, the guests followed automatically.

'Bloody wanker,' Troy heard Chad murmur as he passed.

'Don't trip,' Troy jibed back.

Taylor kept it all very business like as she dragged him centre stage. His skin flushed an odd shade of puce and he fumbled to put his hands in the right position on Taylor's waist and shoulders. It looked as it was taking all of Taylor's strength not to slap his hands away and take the lead herself. With a nod at the orchestra a gentle song started up. Chad took one hesitant step and Taylor moved with him. It amused Troy that someone who was so agile on the basketball court struggled to dance even two steps. His movements were stiff and nervous but no one in that room could deny the pure adoration that shone from his eyes when he looked down at his new wife. Gently he twirled her out and when he didn't drop her, his confidence seemed to boost a little, his body relaxing. They danced together, gliding around the dance floor, but the concentration and determination never left Chad's face. He wasn't going to screw this up for his bride; this was supposed to be perfect for her. The chorus struck up and she twirled under his arm, glowing spectacularly as she smiled back up at him. Her hips sashayed and she loosened her grip on his neck and they took one final spin around the dance floor.

And then abruptly the cheesy, slow music stopped. The entire crowd stopped dead, waiting curiously for what would happen next. An anticipatory murmur ran through the crowd. And then…

Loud, pulsing techno beats began to pulse through the sound system, filling every crevice of the room, replacing the soppy song. Taylor tipped her head back and laughed as the group of rowdy basketball players flooded on the dance floor. Troy watched as she reached up on tip toes to press a kiss to her husband's cheek and he could read her lips moving to form '_thankyou'_.

Troy looked around, ready to grab Gabriella for their first alone moment all evening. She had been standing next to him just moments before and now…

He spied her out on the floor, dancing with Sharpay. The slinky green material of her dress clung firmly along the luscious lines of her body as she shook her hips. Her hands were locked with Sharpay's and they both shimmied and twirled, giggling madly as they did. Her body moved fluidly to the pulsing beat of the music and Troy stared unabashedly, completely entranced.

'You're staring at her ass,'

Troy looked over to see Chad beside him, grinning from ear to ear as he surveyed his best friend.

Troy shrugged, returning the grin, completely unembarrassed, 'She's my girlfriend. I'll stare at her ass if I want to. Thank your wife for choosing that dress won't you?'

Chad rolled his eyes, 'Sure will,'

The music morphed into Cha-Cha Slide and there was a playful howl of protest even as storms of basketball players lined up to dance. Chad laughed, 'Yeah, I think I'll stay out for this one,'

Troy looked back at Gabriella who was being forcibly held there by Sharpay who was already bouncing along to the steps wholeheartedly. She was laughing at Sharpay who kept tugging on her arm, insisting she stay for the dance. Within seconds the whole dancefloor was writhing with bodies who for the most part were keeping up with the steps and Gabriella wasn't going to ruin that. It warmed Troy's heart to see the overwhelming grin on her face as she too joined in on the infectious dance.

All around her were his team, distinctive by the boyish grins and the bodies that towered over everyone else in the room. The ones with girlfriends were playfully tossing them around, the ones without were hitting on the waitresses shamelessly. In the past few months that he had been a part of their team Troy had felt nothing but brotherly affection for those guys and they had felt the same in return. All he could think was the stark contrast between his two lives on opposite sides of the country and how much his life had changed. With the Lakers he didn't like the guys and they didn't like him, he was lonely and spent his time after practices fleeing out the door before he was asked to join them for another drink. With these guys there was that camaraderie that felt so much like the Wildcats used to. There was no animosity, no jealously. They understood what it was to be a team. Gabriella, Taylor and the rest of the Knick's girlfriends and wives were as big a part of the team as the members themselves and they openly welcomed the girls whenever they were around. Troy watched as one of his team mates spied Gabriella, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. She squealed loudly, giggling and joined in the dance with him. This New York life was more than Troy could have ever wished for. It was perfect.

* * *

Somewhere in between dances Taylor was spun into Chad's arms for the first time in a long while. They had been kept apart by numerous well wishers who wanted to kiss their cheeks and spent hours talking about the joys of marriage despite their discomfort and escape attempts. So when Gabriella and Sharpay pushed her toward Chad she almost collapsed in relief. For a moment, in the middle of the dance floor, amongst a mass of people jostling against them as they danced, they were alone. Taylor curled her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. The music faded to background noise, the people weren't even there. It was just him and her, as they had always wanted it to be.

'We did it Chad,' she murmured into his chest.

He held her tightly, his nose nuzzling in her head, 'Yeah, we did,'

'It's taken…'

'So long,' he concluded, 'I know. But, we're married,'

The way the words rolled over his tongue sent delicious shivers curling up her spine. _Married._

Married was the cornucopia, the holy grail for everything they had been fighting for. Through Gabriella's breakdown, through the loss of Troy, through college, through every little thing that they had encountered, and they had made it this far. That was a reason to celebrate.

'Chad! Taylor! Excellent! I wanted to talk to you!'

The sound of an animated guest, evidently tipsy from the open bar called them over loudly and there was nothing they could do. Their fingers laced tightly and they turned to face the new distraction. There would be alone time on the honeymoon.

* * *

After one particularly vigorous round of the Macarena Gabriella collapsed in a chair in the corner of the room. Her feet ached from the bouncing and the twisting she had done with the never-ending energy supply that belonged to Sharpay. She let out a breath, fanning herself with her hands. She needed a break.

Everything had gone as she had hoped it would. The wedding was beautiful, perfect for Taylor and Chad. There the casual air that only a room full of basketball players, athletes and East High graduates could bring. There was infectious, giddy spirit in the air from the free flowing champagne and the undeniable affection that the couple displayed.

'Hey there,'

For the first time all evening, Troy stood there in front of her. His grin was bemused as he studied her, sprawled out on an empty chair, panting.

'Hey,' she sighed.

He pulled up the chair beside her, sitting on it sideways, his blue eyes sparkling as he looked back at her, 'Looks like you had fun,'

Gabriella laughed, letting her head drop to his shoulder, 'I'm tired,'

Her high heeled sandals slid off and her throbbing feet thanked her. Troy reached out for one of her feet, cupping it in his hands carefully, his skilled fingers beginning to work the tired muscles.

Gabriella let out a groan, her eyes dropping shut, 'Good man,' she murmured.

Troy chuckled, 'So why are you so tired Ms Montez?'

She cracked her eyelids open just a little bit, 'Well, you see, my boyfriend stayed over at my house last night and he wouldn't stop talking. He was relentless,'

Troy waggled his eyebrows playfully, 'He sounds like a pretty boring boyfriend. What about the exciting stuff?'

'No,' Gabriella sighed with a huff, 'He's too much of a gentleman. He wants to "wait" whatever that means. He wants to take his time,'

'You might want to tell him to hurry himself up there,' Troy suggested teasingly.

Her eyes opened, fully this time to reveal intense, smouldering chocolate. She quirked an eyebrow, 'I might just do that,'

One eyelid dropped down in the sauciest wink he'd ever seen and Troy was overcome from a flush of heat spreading down his body. He released her foot quickly and sat bolt upright. Gabriella giggled, reaching out for him again.

The music stopped suddenly and the DJ's voice appeared over the loud speakers.

'Ok, we're going to slow it down for a moment… grab your sweethearts and head out on the floor.'

As a gentle piano song began, Troy looked back to his girlfriend, 'Would you like to dance,'

Gabriella smiled gently, 'I'd love to,'

His large hand encased hers and he led her out onto the floor. His hands cupped the delicate curve of her waist, pulling her into him as her hands looped around his neck. She leant her head against his chest and they gently began to sway. Their bodies moved in perfect synchronisation, giving themselves over to the music. All around them, they were surrounded by their friends; Kelsi and Ryan, Sharpay and Zeke and Taylor and Chad embracing tightly.

_I finally stopped tripping on my youth  
I finally got lost inside of you  
I finally know I needed to grow  
And finally my mate has met my soul_

Troy's lips brushed against Gabriella's hair, expressing his adoration for her with every kiss. She would never know how blessed he felt, how in awe of her he was. After everything he had done, how could he still deserve to have her in his arms?

_I couldn't comprehend  
As I watched it unfold  
This classic story told I left it in the cold  
Walking through unopened doors that led me back to you  
Each one unlocking more of the truth_

The past few months had been bliss. Learning everything about one another, falling even further in love. The nights had been long and filled with one another, smiling, laughing and being the people they had always wanted to be.

_Finally  
Now my destiny can begin  
Though we will have our differences  
Something strange and new is happening_

'I love you,' Gabriella whispered throatily.

For a moment he stopped swaying to look down at her. That was the first time she had said that to him. She knew that he loved her and she had always held a little reluctance to return the expression. She wanted to _really _mean it when she said it.

She stared back up at him, her chocolate eyes sparkling. Her lips upturned in the most perfect smile and he let out a sigh, crushing her tighter to him.

_Finally  
__Now my life doesn't seem so bad  
__It's the best that I ever had  
__Gave my love to him finally_

'I love you too,'

Their lips met in a tender kiss and Gabriella's eyes slid shut as they continued to sway. With her in his arms, he felt peaceful. He felt the most blissful he thought he could ever feel. He never wanted this night to end.

* * *

The reception continued to rage on for many hours. Gabriella and Troy found the rooftop terrace outside unoccupied and curled up in the chairs together, their bodies intertwined as he brushed kisses on her hair, cheeks, forehead, nose, over and over in a display of reverent love. They watched the sparkling skyline of New York City around them, the dark blanket of velvet above them. Fairy lights strung from every post twinkled brightly and for a moment they were completely alone.

'Hey,'

Troy twisted his head at the sound of Chad's voice. He and Taylor were hand in hand, both weary and sleepy as he led her out onto the rooftop.

Gabriella looked up, smiling gently, 'Hey,'

'Are we… are we interrupting anything?' Taylor asked quietly, 'We're hiding. We just want to sit down,'

Gabriella chuckled softly, 'Feel free. We're just sitting too,'

There was a rustle of fabric as Taylor swept over to one of the chairs, falling down into it helplessly. Chad joined her quickly, resting a lazy arm across her shoulders. Taylor kicked off her own shoes, leaning into Chad sleepily.

'Is this where the cool kids hang out?'

Zeke's voice was the next to rupture the cool night air. He was carrying a barefoot Sharpay in his arms, an amused smile on his face. Sharpay was already barefoot, nuzzled into her boyfriend's chest cutely.

'Something like that,' Chad murmured, a shadow of a grin on his face.

Zeke pulled up another chair, joining the haphazard circle that they were beginning to form. He sat down, pulling Sharpay onto his lap.

'I think the Macarena was the last straw,' he chuckled.

Sharpay slapped his chest balefully, 'Shut up,'

'Oh thank god, chairs,'

Troy wasn't even surprised when he heard Ryan's voice. He was leading his pregnant wife, one hand at her back, supporting as they walked out onto the roof.

'Chairs is something we have,' Gabriella smiled.

With Kelsi and Ryan sitting down they completed their circle; perfect and whole and for once they were all content.

Troy surveyed the circle around him and he saw his true family. He saw his brothers and sisters and the one woman he couldn't live without. He saw the people he almost lost forever.

There was Sharpay, half-asleep and tipsy, curled into the chest of the man who had loved her since elementary school. He no longer saw the high maintenance princess who scared all the guys and instead saw the fiercely loyal and protective girl who would do _anything _for her best friends.

There was Ryan and Kelsi, smiling with such gratification as their linked hands cradled her growing bump lovingly, their future never more real. There was Taylor and Chad married, grown up and so much in love. Chad's fingers brushed through her hair tenderly and Taylor's heavily lidded eyes shone with happiness as she sighed against him.

And then there was her. Gabriella, so perfect, the one he had been waiting for all this time. Her complicated updo was now mussed, loose tendrils curling around her face sweetly. Her feet were bare, her legs intertwined with his, every available inch of skin touching. He _loved_ her and he never ever wanted to have to live without her again.

Who would have thought that they would wind up here? Eight high school kids, the most unlikely friends, the most unlikely allies. Two show poodles, two nerds, two jocks, a chef and a musician. Who would have ever thought?

At the age of seventeen, none of them would have thought that this would ever happen to them. Because, who would have believed that in eight years time Kelsi would be married and pregnant? Who would have thought that a chance meeting on New Years Eve would turn into an epic love that they could never forget? Who would have ever thought that _anyone _would be attending Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie's wedding?

He would be idiotic to deny fate's hand in this whole ordeal. Everything had to happen for a reason, otherwise she wouldn't be there in his arms tonight. Since high school they had all changed, all grown and it still brought them back to this very spot no matter how long it took for them to get there. As he looked around he met the gentle, loving eyes of his family and he held Gabriella tight. It didn't matter that they had taken the long road, they were here now.

The music, faint and distant in the background changed to the undeniable opening strains of the chicken dance. Taylor's eyes flew open and Gabriella began to giggle hysterically in his arms.

Sharpay was suddenly alert, bouncing in Zeke's lap, her arms already mimicking the motions and Ryan was sliding down in his seat denying any DNA correlation between the two of them.

'We should fire the DJ,' Taylor remarked absently, picking at a loose thread on her skirt.

Troy laughed: no matter how much everything changed, some things always stayed the same.

The comfortable rise of familial chatter swirled around him and Gabriella twisted in his arms to kiss him fondly. After all this time he'd wound up where he needed to be. He was home.

* * *

_You never know the biggest day of your life is your biggest day, not until it's happening. The day you commit to something or someone. The day you meet your soul mate. The day you realize there's not enough time because you wanna live forever. Those are the biggest days. The perfect days. You know, it was a beautiful day._

_-Grey's Anatomy_

**_THE END_**

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* * *

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There we have it, the denoument of my very first story, I can't believe it's over. Thankyou all so much for your support, I've appreciated every single piece of advice and encouragement you've given me. Big thankyou to . for the pep squad she'd provided me. I'll be back soon (hopefully), so watch out for me and I look forward to hearing from you all again!


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